Wily's Legacy
by lunateix
Summary: Post Megaman 9 AU. King has ruled the world for 200 years, now, Wily's Legacy, Bass, is the only thing that can challenge his power. Crossover with Super Robot Wars with Megaman ZX elements. More info inside.
1. Fallen Angel

Some Author's Notes: Welcome to an idea I just came up with out of the blue. Some credit goes to Juggalo Statix, he's not on this site, but he's a friend of mine.

Post Megaman 9, this story is the idea of what would have happened if Bass and Megaman hadn't fought together to defeat King. Instead, it was just Megaman and he lost. Now King rules the world.

Pesky Disclaimer: I don't own Megaman characters, that's all Capcom.

Pesky Disclaimer: I don't own Super Robot Wars characters, that's all Banpresto.

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_They say that in the past, robots were just awkward little things, scurrying around garage floors on treads or scampering about on spider legs. They say that in the past, robots served mankind. They built cars and were used to defuse bombs or handle hazardous materials. That all changed one day, a long time ago._

_Doctor Thomas Light and Doctor Albert Wily changed everything. They changed the world._

_It seemed harmless enough at first, but that's how it always starts. They probably didn't see the impact their hard work would have on the world. Centuries have passed, they'll never have to regret their actions._

_Robot Master…such a simple name that describes them perfectly…what they are…and their power. They dominate everything now. There isn't a corner of the globe where their influence isn't felt._

_Led by King, they spent a hundred years hunting us down and destroying our numbers, claiming it was for everyone's own good. We went from six billion strong to barely a few million, only allowed to exist through the graces of the Robot Masters._

_We're huddled into colonies now, the only patches of ground on this planet where King has decreed we won't be harmed. The ground is fertile enough for food and the weather is never harsh, but if we step outside our set boundaries, we become targets for them._

_No matter how quiet we are or how well we sneak, if we leave our havens, the Mavericks come and take us. What do they do with us? Most are killed on the spot, something Mavericks take joy in. Others get taken back to one of King's cities; put on display until bought by some robot, as if we're their pets._

_It's funny, some parents tell their children about a legendary Robot Master named Megaman. They say he fought to protect humans. Whether it was true or not, it doesn't matter, he died against King. Now, we're stuck with his much more dangerous counterpart, X. He might have turned out completely different if he'd been raised by humans, rather than King. Once again, it doesn't matter._

_They say there was another, just as strong as Megaman, maybe more so. Was he real? I don't know. He never fought King, so we'll never know. Once again, it doesn't matter._

_It's frustrating, living like rats in a cage while the robots prosper in their cities, completely safe, knowing we humans will never be able to mount an effective attack against them; not while we're huddled in our little colonies, praying each day that King won't turn on his word and let hundreds of Mavericks descend on us._

_Worst of all, they spend their time, planting powerful crystals in the ground. These crystals, rather, refractors, stimulate the Earth's development, creating lush forests and jungles, repairing all the damage that mankind inflicted on our Mother throughout its many wars. It's like they think they're better than us, like they deserve our world._

_Me? I'm a seventeen year old girl named Alfimi, in short, red curls, walking outside the safety of the city in weathered work clothes. Don't get me wrong, I like dresses, they just don't work out here._

_Speaking of 'out here', I bet you're wondering why I'd be risking my life, wandering around in Maverick Country. Well I'm sensitive to the refractors they bury out here, it's a family trait that lets us locate those crystals and dig them up. It ticks off the Mavericks a bit, but there's no denying the fact that those refractors provide a clean power source with a higher output than anything we could make. It almost justifies the risk…almost._

_You see, thanks to our…gift, my family managed to pull its weight and governs our little city. It's good for my father, because he gets to pretty much do whatever he wants or he threatens to stop hunting for refractors. It's not so good for me and my sister, Ellie, since he tends to send us out here to hunt._

_It's not as bad as it sounds, I guess. We get sent out with an armed guard, and of course, big sis Excel. She's not related to us, but I've always called her that. Anyways, she's our best chance for survival, one of the very few Maverick Hunters that use their own technology and weapons against them. They call her Weiss Ritter, it means White Knight, and it's been appropriate in the past._

_So the day was going by smoothly, I didn't know just how different today was going to be. Everything was going to change, and that mattered._

_----------_

"I wanna go _home_," whined Ellie as she brushed a dark bang out of her face. Wearing the same olive drab work clothes as her sister, she was the one that was truly bored in the dense forest, making her sister, Alfimi, smile. After all, boredom is much more favorable than fear, which was plastered on the faces of each member of their armed troop.

Each of them dressed in green camouflage, the six rather generic members of their armed escort were armed with the standard high density impact machine launcher. The weapon was dependable enough, with the capability of firing rapid fire ballistic rounds into Maverick armor, and it was known to work in the most dreary of weather conditions.

The other member of the group, however, was Excel, one of their city's only two Maverick Hunters. Official code name PTX-007-03C, she was more colloquially known as the Weiss Ritter. Unlike the rest, she was armored. As the name suggested, her armor was mostly white, except for a few bands of blue here and there. She wore tough, armored boots, with the greaves running halfway up her lower leg before the armor gave way to the black mesh she wore underneath, running up to her thigh. The upper legs were protected by loose plates of metal, forming a 'skirt'. The arms were protected by strong gauntlets, up until the wrists, where once again, black mesh took over. The shoulders were protected by the trio of thing plates jutting outward, connected to the chest armor which sported a pair of vents on the front, oddly more for keeping her cool in the armor than anything else. On her back, two thin wing binders to either side kept her mobile. Her blonde hair was covered by a helm, reminiscent of the days of medieval knights. As far as weaponry went, her left hand sported a trio of small beam cannons, but she depended mostly on her specialty weapon, the Oxtongue Rifle, a long weapon, reaching her height and exceeding it slightly. The weapon was capable of effortlessly switching between the powerful ballistic mode that shot explosive rounds, and the longer ranged energy mode that, as its name suggested, fired beam energy.

Things had gone smoothly enough, evidenced by Alfimi hoisting a satchel over her shoulder, emanating a faint glow of small refractors, but these weren't the prize they sought. For the longest time, she'd felt something stronger out here, much better than the E-class refractors they normally collected, no, this had to be at least an A-class, maybe even an S-class if she was lucky!

It had taken forever to get her father to allow approval of this. She might have felt better if she knew it was because he was worried about the safety of his daughters, but she knew he was more worried that if they found a refractor as big as the one she felt, then the city would have power for a good, long time, and his position as governor might be challenged.

Ellie leaned on her sister's arm as they walked through the forest, "Come on, we have plenty of refractors, besides, dad will probably be happier if we don't bring back the big one." "I know," Alfimi replied, "But think about how much better off everyone will be if we pull this off. It can't be much farther now, we just need to keep walking." "You said that three _hours _ago," Ellie droned.

Excel chuckled to herself before saying, "My, how my little girls have grown." "You're not _THAT _much older than us," Alfimi pointed out, but Excel wasn't listening as she hummed a tune, putting the armed escort in a stupor as they watched the armored girl skip along in her own little world.

Unfortunately for Excel and those around her, her little world came to an end as they heard the distinctive snap of a twig in the dense bushes of the forest, reminding them of their paranoia and the situation they were dealing with.

"Look sharp," Excel informed as she scanned the area intently, hoisting her Oxtongue Rifle as she whispered to herself, "Somewhere around…_there!_" Startling everyone with her statement, she made them jump when she fired a round into the waiting darkness. As they heard the scream of a Maverick, it's metal armor being torn open by such concussive force, they heaved a sigh of relief, but it wasn't over.

Silence, it's always silence followed by the surprise, in this case, the surprise being Mavericks in an ambush raid. Alfimi and Ellie shuddered, Mavericks were seemingly built with vicious, imposing forms in mind, and they tended to appear in the animalistic variety. These were all sharing the same lithe design, resembling one of nature's swifter, stronger cats, and they wasted no time with throwing themselves in the fray.

Howling maniacally, they rushed, one quickly tackling one of the soldiers and biting deep into his neck before ripping free. He smirked, but it faded as he realized that the soldier still had enough left in him to empty his clip into the Maverick's skull.

"Scatter!" ordered Excel as she ushered Alfimi and Ellie aside, hoping the dense bush around them would be adequate cover for the moment.

Two more soldiers blocked the path of another Maverick, letting bullets fly free, boring into the Maverick with amazing ferocity, riddling the warrior robot full of holes in a matter of mere moments.

Excel grinned as she brought her Oxtongue to bare, saying, "Big sis isn't gonna miss, ya know?" before a powerful burst of her E-mode sent a beam of energy through the target, "Bulls-eye!" She shouted with glee. "Scratch one more useless bot!"

Unfortunately, she couldn't react in time to the newcomer. Feet baring treads underneath and powerful boosters to his back, the mammoth of a Maverick sported a thick head and a trio of horns, and it used the full force of its body to ram into Excel, sending her skidding across the dirt, coughing along the way.

"Maverick Hunters, feh!" he spat as he announced, "My name is Buster Tri-horn, think you have what it takes to beat me!?" As she hopped to her feet, Excel replied, "Any day of the week! It's B-mode to the rescue!"

Explosive shells impacted against his armor, but did little to him. Instead, her reward was the boosters on his back roaring to life as the treads catapulted him forward. "I'LL SKEWER YOU!" he shouted as he locked his horns in place.

Barely avoiding the blow, Excel replied, "You don't know my speed, do you? It looks like D's the letter of the day!" She hopped back twice before firing the laser cannons on her left arm, grinning as her far more obscurely hidden missile pods fired, dropping the outer casing and letting multiple rockets fly. She fired several ballistic rounds from her Oxtongue before, in a moment of flair, she twirled the massive gun over her head and brought forth another energy round.

"It's not that easy!" He shouted as spikes shot out from the back of his head, brimming with electricity and forming a barrier around his massive body, enjoying his human opponent's moment of frustration before rushing for her again. Like before, his effort was met with a simple dodge, but this time he kept going, right into one of the remaining soldiers, running him through with three sharp horns before grabbing him and literally yanking him loose, tossing his dead body aside.

There were only two guards left now, and he whirled around to face them, firing gattling rounds from his horns and ending their lives just as easily as they blinked. Now turning to Excel and the two girls she was left to protect all on her lonesome. "Listen, I want you to make a break for it," she said. "No way, what about you!?" Alfimi countered, but Excel shouted, "GO! Make it back to the city, get those refractors back or this was all for nothing!"

Alfimi swallowed hard as she nodded and tugged on her sister, only to realize she was frozen stiff. Alfimi could definitely sympathize, given the situation. After all, neither had actually seen the carnage that Mavericks tend to wreak against their weaker, human counterparts, but this wasn't the time to be stuck to the floor. Showing enough strength for both of them, Alfimi yanked on her sister and practically dragged her away before Ellie realized she was moving and ran on her own accord.

"AFTER THEM!" Roared Tri-horn, but as his minions went to do as ordered, a hail of rocket barrage halted them. Hoisting her Oxtongue, Excel announced, "Big sis didn't say you could leave the table!"

----------

Alfimi ran, her sister tethered behind her with their hands clasped as they hurried from the battlefield, only for Alfimi to curse. After all, she had just picked a direction and ran, going on instinct, rather than logic. Instinct had made her follow her feeling, leading them deeper on the trail of the refractor that started this mess.

"We're lost," Ellie managed to huff between breaths, but Alfimi waved her down as they kept running, saying, "We're not lost, trust me." Deep down, she didn't trust herself, but something was making her keep going in this direction, rather than change it. By now, her lungs were burning, her legs were getting sore, and her heart was beating so hard and fast that she thought she'd fall out any second. Perhaps then, it was best that she impacted against something.

Given enough time, Ellie managed to stop running and helped her sister up. "Are you okay?" She worriedly asked, but Alfimi was more concerned with running into what felt like a wall, when nothing was there. She gingerly placed her hand forward and felt the cold of steel in the wake of nothingness before Ellie squealed. Jumping, Alfimi took her hand away and her sister sighed in relief.

"What was it?" Alfimi asked. "You…you upped and vanished for a second!" Surprised by her sister's remark, she tested a theory and put her hand to the invisible wall again, and before long, Ellie shouted, "You vanished again!"

Alfimi brought her hand away, murmuring, "A cloaking device? In the middle of nowhere?" She put her hand back to the wall, waiting this time, and in time, she could see a large, steel wall in front of her with sturdy double doors further down. It was making sense. As she made contact with the building, its cloaking field was extending around her, but that was only half the excitement. Deep down, a thought was burning in her head; the refractor was here.

"Hey, Ellie, put your hand to the wall and wait a bit," she ordered and her sister obeyed, heaving relief at seeing her sister again while exuding confusion to the large building in her path. "What is all this?" She asked, but Alfimi was making her way to the door. "Alfimi! What are you doing!?" The girl in question simply shrugged as she replied, "Well it's shelter, isn't it? What are the odds of Mavericks getting us in an invisible building?"

Ellie groaned as she thought of her sister's logic, but hurried beside her as she reached the doors and pushed, hearing metal whine as they parted, and the duo nervously entered.

As if someone was waiting for them, lights blinked into existence, cascading the room in their bright white glare, revealing a long corridor. "I don't like this," Ellie whispered to her sister, but Alfimi laughed lightly as she replied, "It's probably automated, that's all, relax. After all, it's better than being out there with the Mavericks…like Excel…"

The sober reminder of the girl fighting off Mavericks on her own was depressing, but then again, that kind of thing was what Excel was supposed to do for a living. Still, it was enough to get Ellie moving again, ambling down the corridor with her sister as doors slid away at the end.

Lab equipment was everywhere, strewn about in a mess that would be an office clerk's nightmare. Parts here, consoles there, and tools every which way, it was obvious that someone was living here.

Alfimi kept walking, Ellie lingering close by, as they encountered an object draped in a tarp. Curiosity winning her over, Alfimi pulled it back and they both gasped in fear.

It was a robot.

"He's…not moving," Ellie pointed out. "Y-yeah," Alfimi agreed as she closed the distance and inspected him. "What are you doing?" Ellie hissed. "I've never seen one this close before, I'm just curious, is all."

She looked over him, asleep in a capsule. Gray mesh was the beginning of his clothing, but black gauntlets and greaves took over his protection, as well as compact chest armor, equally black with a blue gem in the center. Red scars ran from his eyes, down his cheeks like war-paint. His head was protected by a helmet draping over his head like the crest of a cobra, with slim, almost streamlined 'fins' jutting from either side.

"He doesn't look like most Mavericks," Ellie said as Alfimi leaned closer. "What the heck, Alfimi? Stop messing around with it before you turn it on or something!" "Shh," Alfimi commanded, "I hear something."

As she pressed her ear against the capsule, she almost jumped. She was positive she heard something beating in a familiar rhythm…almost like a heartbeat. "That's impossible," she told herself, before she looked to the confused Ellie and said, "It's got a heart." "Sis," Ellie started, "It's a tin can with legs. It doesn't have a heart."

In a huff, Alfimi put her hands to her hips as she countered with, "Oh yeah? Well why don't you lean in and tell me what you hear!" Nervously at first, her sister complied, leaning on the casing of the capsule before her eyes grew wide and she shot up. "Oh my god, that thing has a heartbeat!"

Alfimi sighed as she looked off. Sometimes her younger sibling was so stubborn. Regardless, now that things were calming down and she had the chance to think, Alfimi felt it, that pulse of a refractor; a powerful one, and it was close. It was then that she gasped as she realized, "It's him!"

"Wha?" her sister asked, confused at her sister's sudden outburst, but Alfimi pointed to their sleeping companion and said, "He's the refractor we've been feeling! Can't you feel it?" Ellie shook her head as she replied, "I can feel it, but you know I've never been as sensitive to refractors as you. Wait, what are you doing now!?"

Alfimi began feeling her way along the capsule as she answered, "I'm trying to get it open, maybe we can at least score the refractor we were looking for, that'd be some kind of consolation for this mess." As Ellie sighed, a sharp voice shouted, "Get away from him!"

The duo jumped, trying their best to compose themselves as they turned and faced a man…they thought. He was aged, slightly hunched, with a bald crown and wild tufts shooting around his hairline. Sure he looked human enough, the problem was that he was blue…and transparent.

"You're a hologram," Alfimi figured. "Oh great, you're a genius," the image of the man said, "Now get out of my lab!" "You can't send us back out there, the place is crawling with Mavericks!" Ellie shouted, but the image waved its hand indignantly and replied, "Not my problem. Get lost before I activate my security systems!"

Ellie backed up at the threat, but Alfimi stepped forward as she noticed the image fizzle a little. "One of your emitters is damaged," she said. "They're all damaged, you stupid girl," he shot back, "There's only so much repair I can do on a system before it breaks down! What do you care, anyways?" Alfimi tapped her cheek with her index finger as she replied, "Death never sounds fun, especially when you see it coming."

"Bah," the image said, "The only thing I'm concerned about is completing my work." "That…robot?" The image scoffed as it declared, "Bass isn't just some robot! He's the most advanced artificial intelligence this world has to offer!" "But he doesn't work," Ellie replied dryly.

"Bass works just fine!" He shot back before slumping and adding, "He's just…incomplete." "So…he doesn't work," Ellie said, just as dry as before, gaining a scowl from the image before it howled, "OUT! OUT OF MY LAB!"

Ellie sighed, turning away, preparing to leave, when Alfimi asked, "What if we helped you finish him?" Ellie whirled around, mouth hanging open before she practically bit her sister's head off. "How can you even think like that!? The world does NOT need another stupid robot walking around!"

"In return, you let us hang out here until the coast is clear, deal?" The image smirked as it replied, "I'll do you one better. Bass will destroy every enemy in his way." The image held out its hand and Alfimi took it, confirming the deal with a shake as she reminded herself that she shouldn't feel creeped out by the lack of feeling in his hand, after all, he wasn't really there.

"He's lying," Ellie said as the image went to work on a console. "It's a robot, there's no way it's going to attack its own kind. It's just going to kill us…or worse…" Alfimi smiled before patting her sister on the head, saying, "It'll be okay, no one's going to get hurt. Hey, old man, the name's Alfimi, by the way. Alfimi Esther. This is my little sister, Ellie."

"Wily," the image replied as it typed away into the console, machines in the room humming to life as he added, "_DOCTOR _Wily."

It took them a couple moments, but the name rang a bell. They'd heard it so many times as children, raised on stories of the original Megaman. If what this hologram was saying was true, then he was the mad genius responsible for the Robot Wars of old before King took over.

"No way!" Ellie shouted as she got between the doctor and his work. "You mean to tell me that YOU'RE responsible for all this?!" "Ellie, shush," Alfimi ordered, but Wily shrugged. "I guess I am responsible…in more ways than you could understand."

"No way, Alfimi," Ellie said as she shook her head. "There's no way you can help that whack job with one of his crazy robots! It's not worth it to hide out in this trash heap!" Alfimi nodded, weakly adding, "Yeah," before sighing. This was nuts, she was going to help one of the two men that _INVENTED _Robot Masters?

The hologram of Wily turned to the girls, a sinister smirk growing on his face as he began to speak. "Tell me, do you think your precious Maverick Hunters will ever be in a position to do anything about King?" Silence was his answer as he continued, "I think you'll find that Bass is much more capable, and he'll be…_driven_ to beat King's face into the ground, especially when he realizes that King beat his precious rival, he'll say King's destruction was 200 years coming."

"He was the other one, wasn't he?" Alfimi asked. "Yes, this is, indeed him. Bass, Megaman's rival and superior design, though I could never get the blasted fool to obey me." Wily sighed as he continued, "That's the ironic beauty of it, you know? The only thing that made Megaman better than my Robot Masters was…he thought he had emotions. They didn't, you know, not until King found that blasted X…beforehand, it was just clever programming that awarded them with little quirks and idiosyncrasies that gave them the allusion of emotions and personalities. I neglected that in my designs until I made him. Of course, giving him those stupid little quirks made him completely disobedient…"

Confused, Alfimi walked to the hologram and asked, "If you had so many problems with him, why are you still working on him?" Wily's eyes lit up, surprising in a hologram, as he mentioned, "Because Bass is naturally superior. I spent years working on him, giving him a total overhaul, making him the perfect single unit war machine. As you can guess, that far exceeded my own lifetime and I was forced to imprint my memory engrams onto computer and create this holographic representation of myself. It's been so long and he's almost finished. I just need a bit more." Alfimi mentally cursed her curiosity as she asked, "What more do you need?"

"Brainwaves."

"Okay!" Ellie said as she began to tug on her sister's arm, "Mr. Hologram is crazy, let's get _OUT _of here!" "Listen well when I say this," said Wily, "Bass _IS _the most advanced robot ever constructed. His mechanics are so close to human that it's hard to tell the difference. He literally _requires _a brain to function. I'd use my own, but I'm just as much circuitry as any machine now, so I'm out. So he sleeps and I update him as concepts become viable, but he'll never be completed."

The doctor slumped, gaining Alfimi's sympathy and a groan from Ellie, who just wanted to leave this place. "Why didn't he fight King?" Wily looked to Alfimi before replying, "He was going to, don't be mistaken on that. Unfortunately, I was in the middle of replacing him, you see. I called him Zero, a next generation model capable of actually emulating real emotions, I figured that Zero could remove Bass from my sight once and for all, but imagine my surprise when it was Zero's broken form on the floor and not Bass. Furthermore, imagine my surprise when I lock eyes with Bass. I was positive he'd kill me right there, but he turns around and leaves before the damage to his body forces a shutdown of critical systems."

Dr. Wily chuckled to himself before realizing, "Bass never did hurt humans, weird, considering how many times I told him to wage wanton destruction. Still, he didn't like it, he always considered humans weak, and thus, it was beneath him to waste his time with killing them. No, he'd only fight the opponent if he thought it was going to be a good fight, just to prove he was the better fighter. Hell, I only got him to fight Megaman by proving to him that it was worth it and by some stroke of luck, Megaman won and Bass turned all his attention on beating him, you know…the only reason he was built in the first place."

"What would he do now that Megaman isn't here anymore?" "Well, Alfimi, I'd suppose that one, he'd beat the stuffing out of King for robbing him of what he believes he rightfully deserves. Then, I recall their being a Megaman X, that would get his attention." "Let's do it." Wily looked to Alfimi, "Do what?" "Bring him online. I said I'd help, remember? That was the deal. Use my brainwaves."

Wily wasn't going to let her change her mind. He was back to his console in a flash, typing a storm, when Ellie came to her sister and asked, "Are you feeling okay? You're acting really mental." Alfimi shrugged as she replied, "Does one more robot really matter? Besides, what if he actually can beat King, isn't it worth it? I don't want to have to see any more humans hunted like rats. And…Excel…" "Stop it," Ellie said, "Excel's going to be fine and you know it!"

"We don't know that for sure," Alfimi admitted as she shook her head. "Maverick Hunters aren't invincible…and there were so many of them…" "So you bring him online and what?" Ellie asked, "Just what are you hoping to accomplish!?" "I…don't know," Alfimi answered as she shook her head, "But it will feel like I'm at least doing SOMETHING other than just sitting around and letting life go on like this."

"Stop blabbering to yourselves and get over here!" Wily barked. As the girls complied, the capsule containing Bass slid open with a hiss. Wily looked to her and said, "He'll be piggybacking your brainwaves for a while until he develops his own. Since he'll technically be sharing your mind, you might experience side effects like déjà vu. Don't worry, it'll only be a momentary lapse in the brain's perception and interpretation, it should pass." "SHOULD!?" Ellie squealed, but Alfimi ignored her. "What do I have to do?"

"Touch him."

Alfimi blinked. "Touch him?" "Yes, I've set up the sequence, contact should be all he needs now and he'll duplicate your brainwaves." "O…kay…" Alfimi nervously put a hand to Bass's chest armor. It was cold, but she could feel that beating in him, she even swore his chest was slowly heaving up and down, almost like he was breathing in his sleep. "Try harder than that, you stupid girl," Wily barked, "I'm not getting enough for transference!"

Turning to the doctor, she asked, "Well what else am I supposed to do?" "I don't know," he said as annoyance leaked into his voice, "Kiss him or something!" She froze. She couldn't kiss a robot! "I couldn't," she said, nervously poking her fingers together. "Wouldn't it be your first," Ellie chimed in. "Ellie, shush! He didn't need to know that!"

"Ah," Wily said thoughtfully, "Giving your first kiss to a robot, and one capable of fixing all this mess, no less." He waited a few moments, lost in thought before asking, "Aren't you a little too old to have never had a kiss?" "That's none of your business!" Alfimi shouted, "Isn't there another way?"

"Well if it were me," Wily began, "I'd use the microwave scanner, but I don't think you'd like the risk of having your brain scrambled, now would you?" She shook her head, "Then stop being so coy and kiss the damn robot!"

"Fine, fine!" She shouted, "Just lay off, okay? Yeesh. Well…here goes…"

Slowly, she leaned down on his sleeping form. She gulped as she felt a lump forming in her throat and she shook her head free of her attitude. Finally, with a sigh, she planted her lips to his own, feeling cold, lifeless synthetic skin for a moment, then warmth, heat, fire. She was glowing before she noticed his eyes shot open, and with a growl, he pushed her off.

"Well that's a problem," Wily admitted. "What," Ellie demanded as she helped her sister off the ground, ignoring Bass, who sat up, flexing his hands. "Well," Wily started, "Rather than just piggyback the brainwaves, I think he completely copied them with his 'Get Ability' system. It's a weapon he used to copy enemy data, so I can't say what will happen. How are you feeling, Bass?"

Bass sat silent for a moment before his crimson eyes flashed. He sneered at Wily, saying, "What the hell's going on?" "Too much to explain in one sitting, my boy. I'll fill you in on the important things. You beat Zero before you could fight King and were damaged in the fight. I put my ego aside and admitted you were the superior build and spent my time on you. In this time, King defeated Megaman and assumed control of the world, going with his plan of a robotic utopia and slaughtering humans to make it happen. Now it's two-hundred years in the future, robots rule the world, I'm a hologram, and you're sharing the brain of that girl you just knocked over."

Bass growled for the second time, quickly instilling fear in the girls as he said, "So King beat the dweeb, huh? I can't believe I missed the chance to knock his face in…and all because of YOU and your stupid girly-bot!" "None of that matters now, Bass," Wily said, "What does matter is that you're completely overhauled and ready for combat."

Bass stood up, quickly noting that his standard boots had become more compact and almost boxy at the heel. "Overhaul? What did you do to me?" Wily stood straight as a smile graced his wrinkled features. "Like I said. I removed the thrusters in your feet. They were only good for short range things. You'll notice the verniers on your heels. They work in conjunction with the stronger ones in your back. Don't worry, remove the armor and you won't have to worry about them."

"_REMOVE _the armor," Bass grunted, "Doc, I never remove the armor, you know that." "Yes, well in a world where in the event you encounter humans, they'll be more frightened of you then ever before, it might not hurt. A simple command will cast the armor off and send it to compressed space." "Compressed what?!" Wily scoffed as he replied, "Oh it's far too complicated to explain in a single sitting."

Bass looked off, disgruntled, as he held up his right hand, letting it fade away into his buster. "Doc…what the heck is this?" He waved a tripled barreled contraption sticking out of his arm. "Bass…in the time you've been offline…technology has progressed and you required…heavier ordinance. You'll find that the triple-barreled plasma chaingun delivers that ordinance. It's got an impressive rate of fire as well, though it'll initiate a cooldown after 28,000 rounds. It's for your own benefit. During that time you can rely on the linear launcher further back in the wrist. It fires live ammunition now, so you'll need to reload."

"Wonderful," Bass spat, "Design flaws." "Ugh," Wily slurred, "You're always so _difficult_…why can't we have a civil conversation for once?" "We never had one before, why start now?" Wily threw his hands into the air, annoyed as he said, "You're making me wonder why I didn't just rebuild Zero!" "You said it yourself, Doc, I smashed him to pieces…over there actually, if I remember it right."

The human girls and the hologram looked to where Bass was pointing, and as he rubbed his chin, Wily agreed, "Ah yes, that was a tough stain to clean up. Regardless, your other weapon is something not even you can get mad at. Since you so enjoy breaking things, your left arm extends a gauntlet of spikes that can be slammed into the enemy and they will release a powerful, short range burst, preferably after they've been shoved through the enemy's armor."

Bass whistled as he let the spikes extend out of his wrist, "Now THAT is a weapon I could get used to. Say…where's Treble?" Wily sighed, "After your battle with Zero, he was too badly wounded, there was no amount of repair that could help him. Instead, I added his components to your frame. In a way, he's now always a part of you."

Wily automatically cringed for the outburst, but all Bass said was, "I see. I guess it's better than you throwing him away…thanks, Doc." "Uhm…er…yes…" Wily was at a loss for words, this being the only time he could remember Bass thanking him for something, then it occurred to him that it might be the result of Alfimi's brainwaves. "Interesting," he said to himself, but waved Bass down when the robot looked to him.

"Anyways, with Treble's components installed, you can use compressed space to perform the Gospel Boost. Of course I improved it. Your standard Flight Mode is still available, but be sure and try out the Heavy Artillery Mode, I think you'll like it." "Sure," was all Bass said.

"So," Wily said to his creation, "What do you plan to do?" "Well King has a serious beatdown coming his way. As far as I can see it, if he rules, then he better be the strongest and beating him proves that _I _am the strongest. After that, who knows. I mean it's not like I can go and beat Megaman…"

"Actually," Alfimi finally spoke up, "We have Megaman X, he serves under King." "Well that's perfect," Bass said, "I can crush King and the new dweeb. Hey, Doc, what's with the girls, anyways?" "Oh, they were chased in here by some Maverick…robots that hunt humans. This kind girl donated the last piece to your design," he pointed to Alfimi.

"H-hi," she said, but he huffed, crossing his arms. "Thanks, I guess." "If you want to thank her, do something about the Mavericks out there," Ellie offhandedly said. "Ellie, cripes!" Alfimi yelped to her sister, "He just came on in what, 200 years? Give him a break!" "Why are you defending that stupid robot anyways?" "I don't know, still…"

Bass rubbed his shoulder, flexing his arm as he said, "Why not? I could use a warm-up after 200 years. Sending a few glorified bots to the scrap heap sounds like fun."

----------

Buster Tri-horn loomed over an exhausted Excel. Sure, she'd managed to take out his grunt, but he was another story. Armor that thick backed up with an E-shield was plain cheating and he knew it.

She moaned lightly as he lifted her by the arm. She guessed her a few of her ribs were cracked, probably some more of her too, she just couldn't feel it at the moment. "You Maverick Hunters are all the same," Tri-horn gloated, "A tough shell, but inside, you're just as soft as any other human rat. Now, let's peel this nut, shall we?"

Strong claws dug into her chest armor, not caring about the flesh they were penetrating as well, and he ripped away, casting her armor aside. "Broken and bloody," he said, "You humans are so fragile, I don't know why King keeps you around."

"You know, I'm guessing that beating up humans must be tough work. It must take guts, putting your life on the line against such _dangerous _opponents."

"Who's there!?" Tri-horn demanded as he whirled around and was met with the newcomer. "The name's Bass. I think you met my entourage." He pointed to Alfimi and Ellie, keeping a healthy distance.

"I…I thought I told you two to run," Excel managed to say. "We did," Alfimi explained, "And we met him. I'm just glad to see you're alright." "We knew you'd be okay," Ellie added as Excel weakly chuckled, saying, "Well I wouldn't call it _okay_…"

"Look," Bass said, stepping forward, "We can do this one of two ways. It doesn't matter to me. You can let her go and I reduce you to rubble or you can be the coward you are and use her as a shield…in which case I reduce you to rubble. Either way, the outcome's the same."

Tri-horn laughed, "A new Maverick Hunter, eh?" He tossed Excel aside, taking pleasure in her grunt of pain as he said, "It looks like my lucky day!" His boosters roared to life as he charged for Bass, even if he missed, he'd still get to crush the girls behind him. Unfortunately, he wasn't prepared for this development.

Bass yawned as he held up his hand, neatly stopping Tri-horn's advance. Tri-horn's treads whirred in defiance as they tried to push him forward, the Maverick stating, "This is impossible!"

"I'd say I was impressed with how much force you put in your attacks," Bass stated, "But I'd be lying. Let me show you some _REAL _horsepower." Verniers on Bass's feet and boosters on his back burst into being, effortlessly pushing the Maverick far back and into a tree before Bass backed off. "Not bad, Doc," he said to himself as he rolled out of Tri-horn's rapid-fire horn assault.

Finding that dodging bullets was far easier for him, Bass brought forth his triple-barreled chaingun and let shots fly. "Tch," Bass commented, realizing the recoil from the weapon took getting used to and most of his shots missed. "Leave it to Wily to give me something too strong to be viable…" but as bullets met their mark and ripped away Tri-horn's arm, he shrugged, saying, "I can't argue with the results."

"I won't be beaten by some upstart Maverick Hunter!" Tri-horn roared as the spikes on the back of his head produced his shield. He smirked in confidence as Bass's chaingun proved ineffective.

In a flash, Bass understood. "Kinetics…the more speed and power, the more energy, the more energy, the more it's used against it, so I can't use projectiles. Not bad." He held up his left fist, spikes extended and beginning to glow as he dashed for Tri-Horn. "Now, they say a single fist can't destroy the world, BUT IT CAN CERTAINLY DESTROY YOU!"

Tri-Horn never thought a fist could penetrate his shield, but there it went, sinking through like nothing was obstructing its path. Soon the spikes found their mark in his armor and he felt his circuitry sizzle as heat built up in him. A quick burst of plasma shot free, tearing through his back and he howled in pain, energy shield dying down as he fell to his knees in front of Bass.

"I can't lose…King, I've failed you!"

Explosions littered his body as he was finally encompassed in one blast. "Heh," Bass said, satisfied, "They still blow up just as good as they used to. Hey, your human friend is still alive. I'm no good with medical crap, so one of you do something."

As Ellie rushed to Excel, Alfimi was speechless. In a matter of moments, Bass had proven more effective than most Maverick Hunters. Wily wasn't kidding when he boasted on his strength. Could he be what the world needed?

----------

Ending Notes: End of Chapter One, yep, alternate universe-y, ain't it? No worries if you're a fan of the Misadventures of Bass or Lost in Time, Found By War, this won't slow them down. This being as radical an idea of mine as it is, it'll take a bit o' thinking for more chapters.

Yeah, Excel is almost a carbon copy of her Super Robot Wars counterpart, Excellen and the Weiss Ritter, and while Alfimi is original, her name…well… she's named after Excellen's clone…one of them…at least it was the one from their universe and not the alternate one that wanted to wage endless war throughout dimensions…Super Robot Wars sometimes gets confusing.

Please review! Until next time!


	2. Vanishing Trooper

Some Author's Notes: Welcome to Chapter Two! It's been forever since I first started this fic so it's well overdue for an update. What took so long? Well other stories mainly. Then there's the fact that I just have trouble coming up with, and then naming the animal-themed Reploids of the X series. If anyone of you reading this has an idea or two on Maverick designs, I'd _GREATLY _appreciate a helping hand. The other problem came from a lack of originality on my part. I had no idea where the story was going. Finally, by fully integrating the story with elements of Megaman ZX and ZX Advent, as well as truly crossing the story with multiple games in the Super Robot Wars series, I had a direction to go with.

Truth be told, I'm testing how well people accept SRW. If this goes over well, I might actually do a more SRW oriented fic set in this universe.

Storywise, the fic combines elements of the Alpha and Original Generation series of Super Robot Wars, so anyone who has read earlier works of mine that used SRW might get things they hadn't expected since Original Generations and the Alpha series are rather different universes with certain similarities.

This chapter will introduce various SRW characters and terminology. While I'll let the characters develop themselves (Partly because some of them have VASTLY different roles and backstories), I'll actually explain new terminology at the end of the chapter.

Speaking of chapters, their titles come from the respective theme songs of certain characters and those familiar with SRW might get a hint to the plot through said titles.

Anyways, on with the chapter! Please read and review!

Pesky Disclaimer: I don't own any Megaman related characters, that's all Capcom.

Pesky Disclaimer: I don't own any SRW related characters, that's all Banpresto.

ENJOY

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_Robots can protect us. They can make our day-to-day lives easier. Robots will help usher in an era of human growth and prosperity like none the world has ever seen. If you have told me that even a few hours ago, I would have called you an idealistic fool with a death wish. At the moment, I'm not too sure anymore._

_Honestly, it hasn't even been an hour since I saw the impossible. I saw a robot attack and destroy another robot with the intent of protecting humans. Well, maybe he wasn't aiming to protect humans. I still can't complain about the results. He practically tore apart a Maverick in seconds, one that almost killed my closest friend and surrogate sister, Excel._

_Bass._

_How to describe him…how CAN I describe him? He's too unrefined to call graceful. He's too elegant to call crude. He's powerful and he's forceful. He's an untamed fire, raging out of control, looking to consume all in its way. Perhaps I'm overstepping things. I've only known him for a moment and I'm talking like we've been together for years._

_He's so much like them, the other robots in our lives that cast fear and chaos in their wake when amongst humans. By them, I'm not referring to the day-to-day Maverick Hunters. Instead, I refer to who they answer to. For the machines that live behind the walls of their society, they are known as the Four Heavenly Generals. For us humans that have to deal with them and their tactics, we call them the Violent Four._

_Gate, the Thinker. It was his scientific mind that led King to him. Through his research, robots further transcended their limitations and a new race was born, Reploids. More advanced than their Robot Master predecessors, they perfectly portray emotions as if they were human. Sometimes, it makes the skin crawl just thinking about how humanlike they've become. While not as powerful as the others when it comes to brute force, Gate's computational abilities are perhaps the greatest in the world, even greater than King's, but he's too loyal to test that. Rumor has it that he has a special robot in a lab that most of his technological prowess comes from, but it's unsubstantiated._

_Red, the Commander. With his military prowess, he controls King's vast army. The Mavericks in his army are all put through rigorous training and afterwards, if they've proven their worth, they're sorted into the four commands of the Heavenly Generals. Other than commanding the most dangerous military force on the planet, it is because of his high sense of honor that King heralds him as his bodyguard. Unfortunately for us humans, he sees no honor in us, believing the greatest act we can accomplish for our planet is to sacrifice ourselves so that the world may grow and prosper._

_Vile, the Relentless. He and his Mavericks make up the Extermination Squad, a harsh group based around the belief that if we humans are kept at a certain number, then we won't grow out of hand. He ruthlessly enforces population caps on our cities in order to limit their growth and he and his Mavericks particularly enjoy their job. Out of all of the Violent Four, Vile is the most dangerous and psychotic of them all. He often openly tries to commit King into exterminating the human species once and for all. Luckily, King feels he's better than us if he allows us to continue to exist, rather than make us extinct as our ancestors have done with so many animals. The last I ever encountered of Vile was years ago, when I was nine. His Extermination Squad razed our city and in the casualties was my mother._

_Finally, X, the Fallen One. Practically a fall from grace, the story is that X was intended to be a defender of humans, but that might as well be a lie now. He's spent his life as the fourth General in King's regime, often serving as his voice to others, issuing his decrees and enforcing them. Oddly, even though he's practically King's right-hand man, he would prefer a life of non-violence. It doesn't mean he's weak, because if pushed to fight, he's a frightening sight to behold. Another weird thing about him is he shows the most compassion towards us of any of the Generals, but that's still not saying much. Out of all of them though, it's him that I feel Bass wants to fight more than anything._

_Bass._

_I'm back to him again. The robot that stands against its own kind and of all things, has a piece of my mind if I understand what actually happened between us. Ever since he defeated Buster Tri-horn, we've made a steady trek back to the city, injured Excel unconscious in Bass's arms. While I'm glad he's willing to carry her back for us, I feel uneasy with how Excel's actually unconsciously snuggling into his arms. Sigh, that's just how she is._

_But now, as we enter the gates of Arcadia, I notice the eyes fixated on us. Armed guards who've spent their lives guarding our gates suddenly train their weapons on Bass, who lets out a growl. I try to quell the situation while Bass sets Excel down and as I draw their attention and calm the guards, I look back to introduce Bass…and he's gone. No 'goodbye', no 'we'll meet again', no nothing. Just…gone._

_­­­_----------

Entering Arcadia, things progressed quickly. A medical team claimed Excel while a member of the Guard debriefed the two girls, Alfimi and Ellie. The retrieved refractors aside, the meeting behind closed doors was a harsh one. The man interrogating them had in fact been the commander of the men that had escorted them and they were all dead for what he had considered a pathetic cache of refractors. What made it worse was the fact that Excel, one of the city's only two Maverick Hunters, was officially out of action, albeit a hopeful temporarily.

As the duo recounted their tale of how the foray had gone terribly wrong, Alfimi had been careful to not mention the fact that Bass, their questionable savior, was a robot. It wouldn't do any good to let the Guard know that a robot was out there with enough power to reduce the city to ashes and it had no affiliation with anyone. In fact, through constant pushes and nudges, Alfimi kept her sister from recounting any information on Bass, Wily, or the cloaked lab in the middle of the forest.

"You didn't let me tell them about that robot," Ellie hissed to her sister. Released from questioning, the haggard girls had been set free to roam the streets of their city, Arcadia. Though their dirt-smudged faces and mud-laden clothes garnered the attention of passersby as they walked along the sidewalk of a main road, the two girls took no notice. Eventually, Alfimi halted, leaning against a building and waited for her sister to join her.

"Look," Alfimi began, "It's bad enough that we landed Excel in the hospital and got an entire squadron of men killed. Do we really have to go off on a tangent about an invisible lab and a two-hundred year old robot with enough power to rival the Violent Four that has no allegiances to anyone?" Rolling her eyes, the younger of the two replied, "That's exactly WHY we need to tell someone. We've only got Bullet to rely on if we have an emergency so we should inform of definite emergencies!"

Alfimi sighed as she looked up into the sky, slowly replying, "I don't think he's an emergency. Frankly, I just think he doesn't want to be bothered with humans right now. Look, for my sake, can we just keep this between us for the moment?" Distress grew in Ellie's eyes for the moment before she acquiesced. "Alright, for you, Alfimi." "I mean it, not even to our father." "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Well," Alfimi started, "I'm going to visit Excel and see how she's doing before getting cleaned up, what about you?" The younger girl stretched and fought a yawn as she replied, "Alfimi, I'm tired, hungry, and filthy. Please, give my regards to Excel. She'll understand if I see her tomorrow." "Alright," Alfimi said with a nod, "get some rest."

----------

Fire surrounded a town, encompassing all within it. The flames climbed to the heavens, billowing smoke that blotted out the sun as numerous wild-cat Mavericks (See previous chapter) ravaged the streets, slaughtering any human they came into contact with, a lone figure chuckled. Tall and standing straight, the figure was predominantly black with his purple greaves and gauntlets barely illuminated in the fire. His bullet-shaped helmet only had a careful 'T' shape, showing nothing of his face. Gold accented his shoulders and joints with a cannon slung over his right shoulder.

"Going a little overboard, aren't you, Vile?"

"What do you want, Gate?"

Standing slightly smaller than Vile stood Gate. The thinker had far thicker boots and gauntlets, colored black. In fact, most of the robot was black. Only a few splashes of blue and white graced his armor, covered in his lab coat which reached his ankles. Hands in his pockets, the machine had a less protective helmet, exposing a handsome face with sharp points accentuating the helmet. Gate, the thinker, had arrived via his airship. The long vessel had been completely obscured from sight thanks to the ever growing cloud of smoke and its already quiet engines had been drowned out by the roar of the flame and scream of the humans.

"I'll ask you again, what are you doing in _MY _business?"

"Relax Vile," Gate replied to the on-edge robot. "Can't I stop in and greet a fellow reploid? Especially one of us legendary Heavenly Generals?" "I don't particularly care for that name," Vile responded as he added, "I prefer what the meat sacks call us." "As you wish," Gate replied, "But watch where you refer to yourself as one of the Violent Four."

"Whatever," Vile spat, "Now tell me why you're bothering me or we'll be renamed the Violent _THREE_." Gate shook his head in pity as he said, "I merely realized we were in the same area. I thought I would inform you of a development. Buster Tri-horn was killed. He was one of your closer officers, wasn't he?"

Vile looked off as he pondered for a bit, the two reploids oblivious to the carnage around them as he replied, "I guess I picked wrong is the meat sacks could gang up and kill him." "That's the thing," Gate said. "We're thinking it was only one and accomplished quickly based on the radio transmissions. The fight lasted thirty seconds." Taken back, Vile shot back, "None of my forces are that weak. Was it a Double G?"

Rubbing his chin, Gate gazed into the hypnotic dance of the flames and replied, "I don't know. To date, we've only seen two Dynamic General Guardians, which is disturbing as it is. Sometimes we forget that the humans are rather intelligent. Taking refractors and converting them into so-called 'Live Metal' and using data and parts from our Mavericks to acquire powerful armors just to fight back. One-on-one, most Mavericks are still superior to your average Hunter, but those two, the Double G. I've never faced them in combat but it's said their power rivals our own."

"Feh," Vile spat, "I'll believe it when I see it. So is that all you wanted to talk about?" "Not quite. I was going to let you know that I'm on my way to Arcadia, the city closest to where the incident took place. It's been a while since I've talked to their ruling power and I can glean the information I want out of him without razing the city to the ground, so we'll soon know if we have a third Double G on our hands. I wanted to know if you wanted to attend."

The screams and wailings of victims in the background brought Vile's mind back to the task at hand. "No thanks, I need to wipe out a few hundred more of the monkeys for their own good, then report my status to King's errand boy." Gate chuckled a bit before replying, "Heh, watch what you call X. We both know how fond King is of him. We never know who's watching at his behest. You need to be patient and wait for the correct opportunity to strike."

Vile turned his back to Gate and paused for a moment as he pondered Gate's statement. "Just what do you mean by that?" Silence. "Gate—" As Vile turned around to face his comrade, there was nothing. As he looked into the sky, Vile saw Gate's personal airship leave the area and said, "Hmph. Gate. You're loyal to King on the outside, but on the inside…just what are you planning?"

----------

A knock on the door bid a playful voice to say, "Come on in."

Alfimi's red curls stuck through the door of the solid white room housing Excel. Laying on the stiff mattress of her bed, clean, white covers up to her waist, Excel's eyes shifted from boredom to happiness as Alfimi entered the room.

"If it isn't one of my favorite girls," Excel exclaimed. "I didn't expect any visitors, what's the occasion?" Alfimi shrugged, "I was just checking up on you." Excel smiled as she replied, "I'll be fine in a little while. Most of my injuries were fixed with an application of machine cells, so all I need to do is rest for a while before I continue my duties." While relieved, Alfimi still shivered, "I can't imagine letting those things crawl around in me like that. I think I'd rather take the broken bones…"

Excel let out a light laugh as she said, "Well it does seem a bit creepy to have mechanical cells repair the body, doesn't it?" Alfimi nodded before she asked, "What about your Live Metal?" "Heh," Excel said as she looked off and replied, "It's completely trashed. Seriously, I mean it's the equivalent to a rock made out of scrap metal." Alfimi's eyes grew wide as she asked, "Is it really that bad?" Excel nodded with a sheepish smile as Alfimi sighed and said, "Dr. Shirakawa is going to kill you when you give it to him."

Excel thought about it and smiled a little too deeply for Alfimi's taste. "What?" Alfimi asked. "Oh nothing," Excel mused, "I was just thinking it's a good thing that Bullet came to visit me and I got him to take it to Shu instead of me." Alfimi looked blankly at Excel before saying, "That was incredibly cruel of you…"

"I know," Excel said, "Kyosuke would be proud." "He's still in East Lake City, testing the Wildraubtier, isn't he?" Excel nodded to Alfimi's question before looking down, for once, a frown on her face as she missed her boyfriend. She didn't care if the Wildraubtier's insane performance required someone with skills like her boyfriend's. Further, she didn't care if it was to be the first transforming, flight capable Live Metal. She just wanted him back with her so she could 'annoy the hell out of him' as he would put it.

"Listen," Alfimi said, trying to change the subject, "We need to talk about today. That guy who saved us…" "Our knight in jet black armor," Excel mused, "What happened to him?" "He practically vanished when we got to the gates," Alfimi explained, causing Excel to brightly smile as she said, "Oooh, a mysterious hero, how romantic." Alfimi thought back to it, as far back as how she kissed him to wake him up and she blushed, but quickly shook her head. "Excel, about him, his name is Bass…and he's…one of _them_…"

----------

Tapping his foot in his tan boots, Brooklyn "Bullet" Luckfield descended multiple levels of the city, via elevator. Standing tall in heavily starched gray slacks and a neatly trimmed dress-shirt with combed back, short blonde hair, he would say he'd dressed casual.

Lost in his thoughts, it took him a moment before he realized that he elevator had stopped and its doors had parted, revealing his destination under the city. Day in and day out, prized minds from the scattered cities across the world pooled their minds together in places like this. With advanced technology developed in secret from their machine oppressors, they used refractors, along with advanced technology, Maverick data, and Extra Over Technology (EOT) that had mysteriously fell from the sky decades ago.

Passing laboratories left and right with the prized minds of humanity well at work, Bullet found his destination outside the laboratory of the one man he knew could fix a certain problem at hand…or tear him limb from limb with the situation. Well, Dr. Shu Shirakawa had yet to actually resort to violence on his part, but one could never be too sure.

The purple-haired Shu Shirakawa had an imposing stature about his sharp face. Dressed in immaculate white shoes, and matching black shirt and slacks, just enough dashes of purple graced his clothes. Covering his outfit was his own personally tailored lab coat, more a suit's jacket than a simply lab coat, it sported purple on the outer layers of its lapels, shoulders, and coattails. Slung around his neck was his crimson scarf with more gold lining the tips as three triangular points extended past the tips.

Typing away on a computer whose screen encompassed half his back wall, Shu made no notice to the blonde man that entered his office. Instead, he turned to his left, examining his latest work on Live Metals, looking for some sort of new outcome. The devices were small enough to be handheld, attached to life-sized mannequins. Soon, one activated, resembling a far slimmer version of Excel's Weiss Ritter armor, even sporting an Oxtongue rifle, but predominantly blue with white splashes and six protrusions extending from the back.

"Bullet," Shu said, quickly straightening Bullet's back and making him halt in his tracks. "I already gave you back your Live Metal. What are you doing back so soon?" Nervously, Bullet looked around before reaching in his pocket and retrieving a Live Metal. Not smooth and bright like the Live Metals on Shu's mannequins, but tarnished, chipped, and broken, with hunks missing.

Bullet cleared his throat before saying, "Excel came back from her mission. It was a total disaster. She's uh, in the hospital right now, but she'll make a full recovery thanks to an injection of machine cells." Shu said nothing, not even bothering to acknowledge the information with a nod. Instead, he merely looked back to the blue armor and mumbled something along the lines of, "The Wildfalken's progress is suitable for pilot use. Where did I put the files on suitable subjects?"

Bullet grew nervous as he continued, "Excel still got messed up pretty bad and she needs some uh…repairs to her Live Metal." "Alright," Shu said, still in his work, "I'll take a look at it. I needed to upgrade it anyways to keep up with the Wildfalken's design. Just put it down and I'll pencil it in later." Bullet heaved a sigh of relief as he set the hunk of broken metal down and began to walk away, "Bullet," the man in question gulped deeply. "Where's the rest of her Live Metal?"

"That…that's it," Bullet said with tension in his voice. Like I said, the Maverick she fought really did a number on her." "It's a wonder she wasn't killed," Shu replied before adding, "This is going to take longer than just a simple repair. I might not even be able to salvage this thing and until I get the new pilots for the Live Metals here, you're going to have to defend the city all by yourself or pray that Irm can correctly synchronize with the new Grungust Live Metal."

"Y-yes, I know," Bullet slowly replied. "There's the problem," Shu continued. "Irm can barely synchronize with the Grungust and loses the form and you're too used to your old Mk II Huckebein to fully utilize the Mk III. If we get attacked, we're doomed." "I know," Bullet said, "It's just the Mk III is just…so _different _from the old Mk II. Can't I go back to using that?" Shu shook his head. "You can't halt the wheels of progress and hope to survive. There are only five Huckebeins in the world and you have one of them and one is the ill-fated Mk I. The Mk III still only gives half the performance of the original model, but that's still twice as much as the old Mk II. With your sleeping potential, that Mk III should let you outperform Excel and Kyosuke at the same time, but you barely tap into its power."

Bullet defensively began to say, "I know, but—" "But nothing," Shu cut him off. "Bullet, you have a Live Metal second only to the original Huckebein and the Double G units, _AND _you're an excellent psychodriver! Your kind is rare and your potential is incredible! Your telepathic abilities give you an edge on reaction time and West Brigade's SRX team has a pair of psychodrivers who turn their abilities into telekinetic (TK) weapons! It's no wonder that Ingram's team outperforms mine with attitudes like yours. Open up to your potential and stop worrying about the consequences or we're all going to be dead before you can even regret it."

----------

Finally back home, Alfimi realized it was getting dark outside. She looked at her house, easily twice as large as any one else's home and she grimaced. Sometimes she felt her father used his status to throw his weight around too much. Then again, maybe her family deserved the wealth that came with her father's position. It was her family's bloodline that held the trait that allowed her and her sister to sense refractors, and while they're considered psychodrivers for the sake of simplicity, there had been no other documented cases of her variation.

Entering, she slumped her shoulders and sighed; tired of a day that still had a few hours to go. Ignoring her surroundings and ascending a spiral staircase to the upper level of her home, she wearily waved to a servant who quickly bowed to her presence and Alfimi entered her bathroom. The size of most people's bedrooms, Alfimi directed herself to the back of the room, to the tub and drew a hot bath. She yawned as she disrobed, letting the dirty, dusty clothes hit the floor as she eased into the bath, heaving a sigh of contentment. Laying back, she let her eyes flutter closed and she reviewed the events of the day, quickly finding herself thinking about him again.

Bass.

She couldn't get the Robot Master out of her mind, ironic since, in a sense, it was part of her mind that helped create his. No, that wasn't right. Wily had said that the entirety of her brain had been scanned and copied by him. Who knew what that held in store for either of them? Only time would tell…or now.

Pain.

Something hard and flat slammed into her stomach, making her cough as she sat up, frantically searching for the direction of the attack, but she saw nothing. More blows came. Invisible strikes to her came from every direction.

"_FIGHT!"_

The word came through clearly as she attempted to grasp her situation.

"_Bass, you worthless pile of spare parts! I didn't build you to be a weakling! Stop holding back!"_

The voice was eerily familiar. She was sure it was Dr. Wily, but the weariness in his voice from earlier was gone. Instead, there was fierceness, hatred, and violence in his voice, fueled by an inner fire that had yet to be burnt out from years of regret.

An image.

Something large and green reaching for her. Alfimi writhed, trying to get away, but she reminded herself that she was alone in the bath and she calmed herself. She waited, eyes closed as she tried to make the imagery clearer. Monstrous, bulbous figures came into view. There were six, made up of some unusual green liquid. In their centers, each had a single metallic eye, pulsating with electricity. She could feel herself getting up, slowly, staggering and she realized that she was still laying in the tub.

The movement was all in her mind and the person moving had white gloves and boots with black gauntlets and greaves over a gray jumpsuit. The design was too similar to be coincidence. She was Bass. Or rather, she was viewing things through his eyes.

"_W-Wily," Bass stuttered as he readied himself. "This is insane, why…why are you doing this to me? Megaman never fought six of these…" "Fool! Don't EVER put yourself on the same level as that blue nuisance! You are better! You are superior! If you can't see that, I'll simply have to bring it out of you!"_

_The green monsters slammed into Bass again, punching him, kicking him and beating him into submission before Bass howled in anger, lifting his arm and letting energy build up inside himself before retaliating with a sizzling display of power that ate through one of the viscous monsters and blew the eye out of it, causing it to dissipate. Like an animal, Bass roared as he leapt to his feet and thrust his arm into the second one, fighting untold pressure as he ripped the eye out of its place in the body and crushed it in his hands._

"_Good, good," Wily said as he watched his creation yell like a maniac and reduce his enemies to dust. "We've made progress, Bass."_

Alfimi breathed heavy as the images stopped and the feelings of pain went away. However, her hopes that it was over soon went away as new feeling came. Electricity flowed through her body like a current, sending ripples of pain through her nerves.

"_GYAAAAHHHHH!!!" Bass continued to shout as the overwhelming pain drove him insane. As it subsided, he panted. Relief was only fleeting as he saw the blue form of Megaman with his ever-cheerful smile and the painful shocks came again._

"_Hate him," Wily's voice called out from behind the image of Megaman. "He is your enemy. Your sole purpose is to destroy him. Prove you are the strongest robot the world has ever seen and destroy him and everything else in your wake! Do it or the pain will only continue!"_

_Bass struggled against the powerful electricity and took aim at the image of Megaman and fired, knocking it back and then that animal ferocity came back as he leapt upon the image and began to beat it, bashing against it again and again before firing at it, over and over again until the test dummy was a scattered pile of ruins. The electricity went away as Wily's maniacal cackle could be heard. As pain subsided, relief didn't join Bass. Instead, it was anger. Pure hatred for Megaman, Wily, and everything around him was boiling inside the Robot Master._

Alfimi began to shake her head, trying to free herself of these thoughts, but more came. This time, no pain, just anger as Megaman came into view, followed by countless Robot Masters and endless fighting, before it came to a single individual, a girl with blonde hair with a bright expression on her face who was apparently showing concern for Bass. A warmer feeling came to her now, but while Alfimi was no stranger to the feelings of kindness, from Bass's point of view, it felt awkward, almost completely foreign.

Finally, nothing. Alfimi's thoughts were her own. Once again alone in her bathroom, Alfimi thought about Bass once more, this time of her own choice. As the sky above grew ever darker, she asked, "Bass, just what are you?"

----------

Nervously pacing back and forth in his lavish dining room, the balding Norman Esther, governing figure of Arcadia, grew anxious. "Where is he?" Norman asked his question to the air as he waited. "Gate's never late and this isn't one of his scheduled visits…where, oh where is he?"

"You look nervous," the calm voice of Gate, quietly standing behind Norman startled the man before he realized Gate had entered via his teleportation system aboard his airship. "Gate," Norman said, trying to hide the tension in his voice, "You're looking quite well! I wasn't expecting your visit so soon after last time."

"Yes," Gate said, calm as ever as he walked across the table from Norman, eyeing a piece of delicate china on display. "Care for anything to drink? We've prepared a meal. I will warn you," Norman continued, "That it isn't the best since we didn't expect you so quickly." "It's alright," Gate replied as he sat at the far end of the table, sitting directly across from Norman, who claimed a seat at the other end.

As frightened servants brought out platters of food, Norman began to say, "So Gate, about—" "Let's cut to the chase," Gate said as he neatly picked his knife up and began to neatly cut into the entrée before him. "Have your scientists created a third Double G?" "What?" A surprised Norman asked. "Another Live Metal as powerful as the Daizengar and Aussenseiter. I know there were talks of creating a third and I want to know if it has been completed."

Gate nonchalantly took a bite out of the food and let its flavors dance on his advanced palette as Norman stumbled about on his words before saying, "The RaiOh is nowhere near close to completion and there's still no one that could properly synchronize with it." "Hmph," Gate mouthed before continuing, "So that's its name. So, believing you aren't lying to me, that would mean that your people have developed a new kind of Live Metal with extensive characteristics. You see, one of our Mavericks attacked your daughters today."

Fear gone, a level of anger grew in Norman as he replied, "We had a deal! None of your Mavericks were to touch my daughters!" "Yes," Gate said before picking up an ornate glass and let fine brandy swirl around in it before taking a sip, stretching Norman's patience as a tactic before replying, "It was one of Vile's. They often don't care about rules or deals as long as they get to kill your kind. It doesn't matter, as your daughters are fine. What bothers me, however, is that Maverick was destroyed in rather quick fashion. Normally I wouldn't care, but when a single Hunter practically slaughters a Maverick, it sends up a red flag."

Norman stared at his plate for a while before he said, "I honestly don't know anything. Dr. Shirakawa's into high performance Live Metals still doesn't produce anything close to a Double G, not since the Vanishing Trooper incident." "The Huckebein Mark I, designation 008R," Gate said, noting Norman's flinch at the mere mention of the word 'Huckebein'. "How many people got out of it alive again? Only three? A pity."

Gate placed his utensils on the table and solemnly said, "Do you know that I appreciate the Maverick Hunters and their constant efforts? It keeps this world alive. We progress and evolve through conflict and chaos, not the utopian peace that so many people claim to desire. It is times of war where technology flourishes and prospers beyond imagining, not peace and tranquility. It is why I allow your small city to continue its research into Live Metals in exchange for information on your achievements. This is why it is unfortunate that I must raze this city to the ground."

Startled, Norman got to his feet so quickly that he spilled his drink, the glass rolling off the table and shattering on the floor. "Y-you can't! We have a deal! I supply my end with information and you keep Mavericks out of my city!" "Yes, I'm aware," Gate slowly replied, "But in such a situation where something as powerful as a Double G is loose and you have no information, you aren't keeping your end. Not to mention, without anything to go on, I have to do this to enact justice on those that slaughtered my brethren." "But we didn't…." Norman tried to protest as Gate said, "It won't matter."

Gate looked off, a plan in his eye as he said, "Unless…you give me one of your daughters…the eldest one with the more developed abilities." "Out of the question," Norman roared. "You forget your place, human," Gate coldly responded. "I'm fascinated by psychodrivers. They've existed all throughout history. Human beings with extra abilities. Psychics who read minds and see the future to lowly others who merely felt someone's presence or saw something move out of the corner of their eye and didn't realize that they themselves had moved it. Labeling such situations as ghosts and other such nonsense until they had an explanation, that it wasn't supernatural, but biological. Some of your history's greatest men were psychodrivers. Chinese strategist Zhuge Liang, Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga, and even the German Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel. They were all Psychodrivers and look how they influenced history."

"What does that have to do with my daughter," Norman demanded. "It's simple. All the psychodrivers in the world follow the same pattern. Telepathic, empathic, and telekinetic manipulation develop due to a mutation in the brain. But, you daughters are different. They're a different type of psychodriver, practically a unique species that can actually track refractors. I wish to test such power in a controlled environment. You have my word that she will be alive and…generally unharmed, but only if you cooperate. Now, for your daughter, Alfimi…"

----------

Plainly visible under the night sky, the lab that gave Bass his second chance at life was illuminated in the pale glow of the moon. From the roof, Bass caught himself staring deeply into the moon. He'd never realized just how big and bright it was up in the sky and he caught himself in a moment of wonderment which changed when he heard footsteps.

Whirling around and aiming his buster, Bass demanded, "Who's there?" A weak smile flashed in the light as the nervous, lithe form of Alfimi came into view and she quietly said, "Hi." "Oh, it's you," Bass said, a little too disappointed, "How'd you even get here anyways?" "I can hear it," Alfimi vaguely replied, "I can hear the soft song of the refractor in your chest. It's different from other ones and I followed that to you. Dr. Wily showed me how to get to you. At first he was angry to see me again, but then he said our interactions would be 'interesting', so he let me pass."

As she got closer to Bass, showing her highly decorative mandarin gown and the ribbons in her hair, catching Bass off-guard for a moment before he snapped out of it. He couldn't explain it, but that awkward feeling had come back, the same as every time he'd looked into the eyes of that one female Robot Master. "What do you want," he harshly spat.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did for us, earlier today." Alfimi's sincere comment was accompanied by a flush of the cheeks, giving her a rosy complexion as Bass waved down her thanks and said, "I wasn't doing it for you. I just needed to field test my new abilities." "Oh," Alfimi quietly replied, "And?" "My new weaponry? I'd really prefer my old buster but two hundred years in the future, I doubt it would have the needed force to actually hurt anything."

Alfimi stayed quiet, which was fine by Bass as he found himself looking at the moon again. "What are you looking for," Alfimi asked. As Bass turned to the girl, illuminated by the pale light of the moon, he replied, "I don't know. In the past, I didn't even care that it was there. It was more a hindrance at nighttime since it could blow my cover, but now that I look at it, it honestly calms me down." A bit startled, "Alfimi replied, "It does…the same for me."

Bass didn't reply, merely taking in the quiet atmosphere as he gazed at the moon, but he felt it, an awkward tension growing in the silence that began to gnaw at him. She was still here. She was still looking at him. She even looked beautiful in her cleaner attire under the faint glow of the moon. Wait, was that right? It didn't sound right. He mumbled in frustration, sure that Wily had messed a little too much in his programming and he asked the quiet girl, "Why are you dressed like that?"

The question was surprising to Alfimi, so it took her a moment before she replied, "I just wanted to…look nice when I saw you again. It wouldn't be proper to just show up as a shambled mess when I came to thank you." Bass nodded before asking, "Where's your escort? You didn't get _THAT _group killed too, did you?" "N-no," Alfimi stumbled over her words. "No one's allowed to leave the city's inner limits at night so I had to sneak out. It wasn't too hard. The real difficulty was getting through the wooded area around your lab without messing up my clothes…" she chuckled lightly but stopped when she realized Bass hadn't changed his harsh expression.

"Bass," she began, "If it isn't too much to ask, why isn't the lab cloaked like last time?" Bass crossed his arms as he looked away, replying, "The place is ancient. Most of the power was used to keep my capsule functioning. One of the generators just died and there isn't enough power to keep the lab invisible."

"Oh…" Alfimi replied as the silence sank in again. She waited, eager for him to say something else, but he only gazed again at the moon. It hit her that if she were home at the moment, she'd be doing the exact same thing. She would simply stand at her window and gaze at the full moon for hours without ever moving. She wondered, if she was experiencing what she thought were his memories, had he gained some of her mannerisms?

That was why she was here. Sure, it was only proper to give her once-savior proper thanks, but she really wanted answers. Why was she experiencing parts of his life? It didn't make sense, everyone's mind is their own, right? No one is ever forced to read another's thoughts, not even psychodrivers.

Gulping, Alfimi finally asked, "Why did…Dr. Wily subject you to it? All that painful training and torture?" Paranoid, Bass slowly inquired, "How do you know about it?" "I…saw," Alfimi slowly replied, "I saw him hurting you. Why would he put you through all of that?" "You were looking at my files?" An annoyed Bass asked. "N-no, I saw it…I literally saw it in my mind a little while ago. I could…feel it, how bad it hurt. I wasn't trying to spy or anything, honest! I just…I was taking a ba—I was alone and over and over again, I saw memories. I think it might have something to do with how you copied my brain waves."

Bass nodded, turning his back to the girl as he whispered, "Damn it, Wily, now some girl's in my personal life, just perfect." Alfimi looked down, a tad bit humiliated as she admitted to unwittingly invading the Robot Master's thoughts. That same nerve-wracking silence reigned once more before she broke it. "Were…were all humans that cruel to robots? Maybe the way the world is now is just…a fitting punishment." "No," Bass said, "A lot of your kind were too afraid of Robot Masters to try and fight back and the ones that weren't were eager to prove that we deserved as much right as humans. Wily was just a different breed. All that pain and torment you described was just a training regiment. I was to be…conditioned to take pleasure out of fighting. I was also conditioned to have a severe hatred of Megaman. It was mostly successful, I still can't stand him, but it wasn't until he beat me in combat that I actually wanted to destroy him."

Alfimi quietly nodded. His words meant something. If a robot made to destroy didn't see never-ending cruelty in humans, then maybe there was hope. "If you're wondering," Bass added, "I don't think this is right. I hate to say it, but I think I'd like to see a world where destiny isn't controlled by what species you are, but the way things go, we'll only get a world like that if we all become weapons. Then we wouldn't discriminate, we'd just destroy other weapons." Alfimi sighed before asking, "What about a world of peace?" Bass looked over his shoulder at the girl and replied, "There wouldn't be a place for humanity OR robots in a world of peace."

Alfimi wondered if his words were true as Bass sat down on the edge of the roof and let his feet dangle. The new weight of his boots hanging freely made him feel awkward and he sighed. Wily said that his armor could be removed and stored in what he'd referred to as 'compressed space'. He didn't like the concept of becoming vulnerable, but sometimes his new weight made him off-balance, so finally, after lengthy debate within himself, his armor lit up and broke away, practically shattering in a startling display with irked Bass's paranoia until an internal message eased his mind with, **"Armor successfully stored, ready for deployment."**

"At least it works," Bass muttered as he looked over his gray jumpsuit, unrestricted by the protection of his armor. He ran his fingers over his hair, short and white, before running his fingers down his face and still feeling his distinctive, purple scars under his eyes. "Weird," he muttered to himself as he adjusted to being far lighter. "I think it makes you look handsome," Alfimi told him as she sat beside him. Now seated, she realized how tiring a day it had been and she yawned heavily.

Nervous at first as she approached, Bass felt his personal space had been violated as the girl next to him rested her head on his shoulder in lazy fashion and it took all his might to resist the urge to push her back. "Look," Bass said, "Why don't I just take you back to your home?" "Can it wait?" Alfimi sleepily replied. "I haven't told anyone about you yet and I'm just too tired to explain you to my father right now." She arched her head enough so her eyes met his and she added, "Please?"

"Tch," Bass replied, "Do what you want…"

----------

"You're making me angry," Gate told a distraught Norman as they scoured the domicile and found nothing of Norman's eldest daughter. Little did either of them know that she had left for a late night rendezvous. "I suppose you want me to destroy your city. Is that what you want, Norman? Think of the damage to our relationship if you're dead." "P-please! I don't know where she is," Norman hastily replied. "J-j-j-just let me send a few of the Guard to look for her, please!"

Gate turned to face Norman in the man's spacious living room, his sharp face illuminated by the light of the blazing fireplace, and as he began to reply, the sleepy, heavily groggy Ellie stumbled into the doorway and asked, "Dad, what's going on?" As she asked the question, she noticed the form of Gate and her eyes grew wide. Her father meeting with the Heavenly General was no new thing for her, but this was the first time she'd ever been present for it.

"Perhaps we can come to compromise," Gate said as he eyed Ellie. "What are you…" Norman began as Gate interrupted, "Since we cannot find the older, I shall simply abscond with the younger." Startled, Ellie asked, "What's he talking about?" Ignoring her question, Norman shot back, "I can't let you take my daughter, either of them!" "How unfortunate," Gate lamented, "You cannot see the larger picture. It seems that your city must be made an example."

Gate snapped his fingers, a signal that summoned a small group of the same generic wildcat Mavericks from earlier and he commanded, "Secure the girl. Make sure she is unharmed. As for the city…go wild." "N-no! You can't," Norman shouted, "Ellie, run, get away!"

Not needing to hear it a second time, Ellie ran from the room with the eager howls of her pursuers, hot on her heels. With impressive speed, the girl bolted through her front door and into the open air of the night, Mavericks quickly at her heels. One leapt, clawing at the girl as, in her haste, she tripped, and it overshot her and crashed into the ground. As a second leapt, she rolled out of the way, screaming.

"HEY!" The shout caught the attention of Ellie's attackers. "It looks like Shu was right to be paranoid about Gate's visit." "Irm?" Ellie asked. "The one and only," he replied. The blue-haired man bore a mullet that looked unusual on his well-chiseled face. An ever-present, confident grin graced his features. Clad in jeans and a stylized leather jacket, the man known as Irmgard (Irm) Kazahara looked to Ellie and said, "Stand back. Bullet should be here shortly. Shu didn't know if Gate would go after our injured White Knight.

Jumping back, he revealed his Live Metal, flat and blue with three protruding spikes with a golden center with two slits like eyes. "Alright," he said, "Don't bug out on me now, Grungust! Time to come!" Startled, Ellie said to herself, "When did Irm get a Live Metal?" No true answer came, only a bright glow before his body mass expanded considerably, becoming a hulking, nine foot tall giant. The blue and white color scheme was accented with splashes of gold on the massive turbines on the shoulders, wrists, knees, feet, two spikes jutting downwards from the chest, a spike going straight back on its head, and the large star in its chest. Two large boosters on its back and long stabilizer fins next to said boosters gave it a sense of mobility, but it was questionable.

"Okay Grungust, LET'S GO!" With that yell, Irm reared his powerful arm back, boosters at the elbow beginning to flare up as he shouted, "BOOST KNUCKLE!" He threw his fist forward with tremendous force and his armored forearm separated from the rest of the unit and shot forward, exposing his human arm encased in black mesh. With its startling speed, his forearm crashed through one of the Mavericks before turning back with that same speed towards Irm and he quickly caught it, connecting the arm.

As the Maverick exploded, its comrades leapt onto the Grungust, digging sharp claws into the armor, or at least trying to. They barely accomplished scratches to his thick plating and Irm quickly pulled them off, tossing them aside as he shouted, "FINAL BEAM!" The star on his chest hissed as the points shot forward and energy charged in his chest. Suddenly, a thick stream of energy erupted from his chest with such force that he was pushed back, unprepared for its destructive power.

Claiming two Mavericks as victims, the powerful beam kept going, much to Irm's horror as it melted through the Esther's home and continued on its path of destruction. Thinking quickly, Irm aimed upwards, casting the beam into the sky as it dissipated. "I didn't think the results would be so positive," Irm said to himself, "It's almost as strong as a Double G! I can barely control this thing!"

The remaining Mavericks growled angrily as they advanced on him without fear. "Okay," he told himself, "I can't do that again, not in the city." Concentrating, Irm focused the abilities of his Grungust, extending a golden handle from his shoulder. Pulling it free, he revealed his weapon, "Calamity Sword!" The boosters on his back burned, pushing him forward with incredible velocity for his weight and he leapt into the air, higher and higher until nothing was seen. Quickly, the shine of his armor reflecting the light of the moon was seen as he fell to the Earth, blade emanating a golden light in the darkness as he cleaved into the first Maverick, pulling free as he spun, sinking the blade into the second. Ripping the blade free, he impaled the final Maverick. "Slash!" he shouted and the Mavericks quickly exploded.

"What power," Gate said, clapping as he exited the house. "Not a Dynamic General Guardian, but that just proves how far you humans have progressed. Magnificent." "I'm glad you feel that way," Irm responded, "Because you'll be my Grungust's next victim!" Boosters roaring to life, he sped for Gate, blade ready, when without warning, the armor that had evened the odds against the Mavericks broke away. With the sudden loss of size and acceleration, Irm impacted the ground, skidding to a painful halt.

"D-damn it, not now…" Irm spat in disgust. A sinister look of glee appeared in Gate's eyes as he said, "Pity, it seems you can't control that power just yet. Unfortunately for you, you'll never get a chance to try. Don't worry, I'll study your Live Metal _VERY _carefully." As Gate reached down, aiming to retrieve Irm's disturbingly powerful Live Metal, a streak of thin, purple energy struck his hand, damaging it.

"How? WHO DARES?" Gate roared as a new opponent crashed into him. Caught off-guard, Gate couldn't defend himself as multiple swings of an energy saber cut into him, furthering the damage as his attacker jumped back, aiming a sleek, yet long rifle and firing several beams of energy into him. "I-impossible," Gate mouthed as he finally saw his opponent. "Vanishing Trooper?"

Standing tall, barely visible in the night thanks to its dark blue coloring with black highlights, only the patches of gold on its knees, shoulders, and the jutting v-fin on its head made it visible. Tall and lean, it sported large missile pods on its shoulders. A large, thin block was stored on its left arm. This was the latest in the ill-fated Huckebein line, the Mk III with its pilot, Bullet.

"A Huckebein with the performance of the original," Gate said, "Interesting. Let's see how well you handle combat with," As Gate reached to remove his torn lab coat, he halted. It was too painful to move. "Amazing, you damaged me that badly…so…quickly." "I'll finish you, once and for all," Bullet declared, an eerie glow coming from his armor. "A psychodriver…very well," Gate mused, "Tell Norman that I concede defeat. We will meet again."

Gate vanished, teleporting to his airship above. "I can't believe we won," Bullet said. Irm looked to his companion and said, "Doubtful. See that airship? Who knows how many Mavericks he had on board, let alone how many bombardment weapons his vessel has. He _LET _us win." Bullet, armor fading back to his Live Metal, said, "He's the weirdest one out of the Violent Four. What's his agenda?" Shaking his head, Irm replied, "Who knows? I'm more concerned with why he's testing us. I wonder if King even knows what goes on in Gate's mind. Come on, let's report back to Shu. I have a feeling we're going to need the other Live Metals."

----------

_So, here I am. A girl sharing her mind with a Robot Master. I snuck out of the city just to see him again. Now, I'm actually spending the night with him, trusting him. Is this safe? Probably not. Not to mention, my family will be worried sick when it awakes and realizes that I'm not even there in the morning. I haven't told them about him yet. Not about him, not about this lab, and not about Wily. How long can I keep it a secret? I think, for my sake AND for the sake of Bass, I'll have to come clean. It'll be one heck of a day tomorrow. _

----------

Ending Notes: Long chapter? I think so too. Not my longest, but still over eight thousand words of story. One of my better lengths for a chapter. Read on to learn some SRW-related information.

-Introduced in this chapter were Gate of Megaman X6, Red of Megaman X7, and of course we all know Vile and X. History has taken a radically different turn thanks to simply leaving Bass out of it for a little while. Named the Violent Four by their enemies, they get the name from the Inspectors of SRW OG2.

-SRW characters new to the scene are Shu Shirakawa, Irmgard Kazahara, and Bullet Luckfield, all prominent characters in the many series'. Also mentioned was Kyosuke Nanbu, Ingram Plisken, and the SRX team. With them came mentions of the Wildraubtier and Wildfalken and the Grungust and Huckebein Mk III were seen in action. There are actually quite a few in the 'Wild' series of mecha.

-The Grungust is simply a giant, hulking, doom bearing Super Robot, incredibly powerful, but Irm currently lacks the ability to bring out its full potential. Due to…_PAINFUL _circumstances, the Grungust lacks its ability to transform. Seriously, think about it. Canonically, the Grungust was the first Super Robot designed in the OG universe with others like the Dyzengar and Aussenseiter coming later, but in this story, the Grungust serves as a sort of attempt to catch up with the aforementioned machines, as they already exist.

-For the Huckebein, as it was designed by famous mecha designer Hajime Katoki—who's done numerous Gundams—it shares its design with Gundams, down to the golden v-fin. Canonically, Bullet piloted the Mk II before gaining the Grungust Type 3, but I upgraded him to Mk III because…well…the Mk II was rather neutered compared to the old Mk I. Speaking of the Mk I, it's the reason the Huckebein has a bad reputation. I made multiple situations where people shuddered to the thought of one. In the SRWverse, the design is feared by nearly everyone because of its initial test.

The Huckebein was developed using EOT (Extra-Over Technology) that literally fell from space inside a meteor and humans thought it was a good idea to build giant robots using the totally untested and highly dangerous technology inside. As of such, the RTX-008-R Huckebein R, equipped with its experimental Black Hole Engine was involved in a catastrophic, yet oddly life-saving, disaster.

Shu Shirakawa had discovered a dangerous flaw in its design that would make the engine go critical and realized that EOT was a test by outside forces and while he confided the secret to Irm, he made no effort to actually _CORRECT_ the mistake. Thus, the Huckebein exploded with the force of a MINIATURE BLACK HOLE and destroyed the entire facility, leaving only three survivors, oddly enough, including the pilot, Raidiese F. Branstein. While a catastrophic event that gave the machine a reputation of being 'cursed', Shu in fact saved the planet by letting the Huckebein, now nicknamed the Vanishing Trooper from the event, go off and explode. Like I said, the built-in flaw was a test. If Shu had corrected it, humanity would have been deemed a threat to those who sent the EOT and a full-scale invasion would have occurred.

Further, the Huckebein is insane in its speeds, moving so fast as to leave after-images in its wake, however, the Mk II design was FAR inferior to the original. Truthfully, the Mk III was better than the Mk I, but I decided to make the Mk III inferior to the original.

-EOT was sent by a race called the Balmarians in the SRWverse as a test to humanity's potentiality as a future threat. In the current universe here, it is only of 'mysterious' origin. Who sent EOT? Future chapters will tell.

-Machine cells are something I've used before. They're nano-machines used to repair any kind of structure, though they have the unique ability to upgrade things as well.

-Perhaps the most important term introduced in the chapter is 'Psychodriver'. It refers to anyone with psychic ability, like a Newtype from the Mobile Suit Gundam series. Some can predict the future, others read minds, some move things with telekinesis. Such a power could be very influential and I imagine that if true, some of history's greatest people could have been psychodrivers. From the combat point of view, a psychodriver could utilize their telekinetic or TK power as a weapon. Some of the SRWverse's greatest pilots are all psychodrivers.

Thank you for reading Chapter Two. Please read and review, but don't forget to read Chapter Three, coming soon!


	3. The Arrow of Destiny

Some Author's Notes: Okay it's nearly been a year since I last posted anything...slight explanations are in order...I really hit writer's block. My grandmother died, followed disturbingly close by one of my friends dying, and when I was feeling particularly down from that, my dog kicked the bucket. Combine this with two jobs, six college classes, and juggling a social life, and I haven't cared much for writing, but I feel the time is right to get back in the groove.

In getting back on the writing track, I have understood that there's too much possibility for story for me to efficiently cover…it's one of the few flaws of Super Robot Wars. There won't be

I've decided to use this chapter to introduce extra characters, as is the Super Robot Wars way. There will be a few separate storylines before they all converge into a single story.

I will give out a couple warnings, be aware that this chapter does not feature Bass. Equally be aware that there are some heavy liberties taken with Megaman continuity.

Let me say that I very much appreciated the PMs that spurred me to get back into writing again, you guys are awesome.

Pesky Disclaimer: I do not own Megaman or any related characters, that's all Capcom.

Pesky Disclaimer: I do not own any SRW related characters, that's all Banpresto.

All that out of the way, let's steer into a new chapter.

--

_To those that find these words, I am known as Warrior Roa._

_Ruined, defeated, I have drifted through this world, bearing the shame of my failure._

_In the final battle with my adversary, I allowed myself to become distracted long enough for him to open a hole in our dimension and escape through it. Seeing no other choice, I pursued him, but at great cost. I not only lost track of him, but I also lost my sister, Warrior Emmy, as we sped through dimensions. In the end, I arrived in this world without my physical form, and I was not able to contact anyone. Worse still, I had also lost my means of combat, a powerful armor that has served me faithfully. With no way of returning to my own world, I could only watch events unfold on this planet._

_That was five years ago._

_Unfortunately, I find this world is worse off than my own, which has come to me as quite a shock. After watching the indigenous life of this planet wage wars of genocide, I see that violence and hatred rule this world. This not only disheartens me, but gives me a fear that if he is here as well, then his power must be growing exponentially, for you see, as long as pain and suffering exist, he will gain power. As long as hate governs the mind, he will have life. As long as destruction is law, he will be unstoppable._

_For five years, I've tried to come up with a way to combat his evil should he ever arise. It has not gone well. Two years ago, I finally made contact with someone. He was called himself Isoc. He offered to help me, but in doing so, bonded me to what he called a Live Metal, and then used me as an experiment on a human boy. We are now one, but I cannot contact this boy, this Kouta Azuma, because Isoc has purposely created a limiter that Kouta must wear on his neck at all times._

_I feel a common ground between me and the boy. Like me, he too has lost his sister in conflict, completely unaware of her whereabouts. Like me, he was approached by Isoc for help, only to be betrayed and turned into a lab rat. _

_Used for countless experiments over the last year, he sees no time for peace, only dangerous tests before being hauled into a cell. It has had a bad effect on him, for he has kept to himself, largely unfeeling of the world around him, unless it has something to do with his missing sister._

_I regret that as long as the limiter is in place, I cannot contact Kouta and we will not be able to draw out our full power until I am able to do so. So together, we must suffer and endure whatever games Isoc feels like playing, and the more time to that purpose, the more Kouta begins to slip into an inescapable hatred that threatens to consume him._

_Luckily, not everyone in the facility views him as a toy. There is a single machine, a Reploid that goes by the name of Pallette that seems to cherish him. Despite his best efforts against it, the two have become something of friends, something that Isoc has allowed, as it gives him just enough will to survive. In addition there are two other humans forced into a similar predicament, twins that lost everything that was dear to them in a single battle. Named Vent and Aile, they are the only surviving members of what was known as the Guardians. Considering what they were up against, it was a miracle they survived. I should know, I was there, three years ago..._

--

_Entering Earth Cradle Airspace-Three Years Ago_

"Okay, listen up!"

The voice echoed everywhere through the loudspeaker. Everyone onboard knew that said voice belonged to their commander, Prairie, and that she was about to give the fleet their final briefing.

"We've crossed the threshold into Earth Cradle space. It won't be long before the Mavericks come pouring down on us. As you all know, the Maverick Hunters felt that now wasn't the time for such a push, but we have no choice. Our kind has lived in fear for too long and now that we have the means to fight back, it is up to us Guardians to go out and reclaim this world for humanity! It'll be a hectic battle when things get going, so remember to look out for each other. You're all teammates, after all! One more thing, victory drinks are on me, so remember to come back alive! Prairie out."

Moving quickly through the sky, the Guardian fleet prepared for battle. Technicians rushed to repair all but the most superficial of damage to the behemoths of the sky, these great Air Destroyers. An impressive sight to behold, each of these vessels were as large as a football field and carried enough weapons aboard to topple mountains. While nothing elegant could be seen in their rather boxy designs, what with their straight edges that rid themselves of all instanced of subtlety with their exposed cannons all littered around a single, large gun emplacement and their wide-open hangar bays to either end, the sheer number of them was the sight to behold. Over fifteen of these were in the area, defying gravity with their size.

Each vessel was piloted by the military faction known as the Guardians, a mobile nation of human beings devoted to ending the threat of King and his army of Reploids once and for all. With Live Metals in higher production and the number of Hunters increasing, the Guardians had offered the chance for an alliance that would see them to victory, however, many of the Maverick Hunters agreed that it just wasn't the time for such an assault, or if there would ever be a time for it. However, despite this, the Guardians moved forward with their plans, gearing up for the ultimate conflict and battling their way through defensive lines to finally arrive at their target, the Earth Cradle.

The Earth Cradle was a massive, self-sufficient city protected by a dome of thick, black steel that was originally for the preservation of humanity, even if the world was destroyed in conflict. However, it had become the massive haven for the Reploids once King assumed his role as the ruler of the planet. Completed under his watchful eye, the once greatest chance for human survival had become the most impregnable Reploid fortress on the planet. As if its dome wasn't protection enough, it also possessed a unique ability to burrow deep into the ground if a threat proved dangerous enough, denying any chance of invasion with any but the heaviest of weapons.

"You did well, Alouette."

"Please, Ciel, it's Prairie now."

Leading the charge of the large, flat airships was the _Advent_. The vessel sported a thicker hull than its counterparts and enjoyed an experimental piece of equipment known as the gravicon system. Also displaying heavy missile launchers and an advanced close-in weapons system, it only had one rather apparent weakness the other ships didn't have: a rather discernable bridge, elevated to a rather vulnerable degree.

"You're right; you did change your name, didn't you? I still don't know why."

"I…maybe I'll tell you one day."

The bridge of the _Advent_ was spacious, separated into two decks. The lower of the decks was devoted entirely to the comm., navigation, weapons, and science categories, with several control stations devoted to each. Soldiers, men and women alike, were seated, an eerie calm governing them as they readied for the situation at hand. The second deck was much higher, connected to the first with stairs. It was designed only for the commander to oversee her crew at all times.

The large command chair was empty. She did her best never to sit in it while her older sister was around, at least if she could help it. "Ciel," she said, "It would have been safer if you hadn't come." "Perhaps," the older one replied, "But I could hardly let you do this by yourself." "Thanks," Prairie told her sister.

They both wore a combination of white, black, and pink, which went without saying, as none of the soldiers had ever seen either girl in any outfit that wasn't dominated by the color. For the older Ciel, it was a black jumpsuit under her pink vest and skirt. Her interestingly compact high heels were pink as well, sporting a white trim that matched the headband she wore that managed to cover most of her hair, letting her blonde ponytail burst out from one end as her bangs shot out from the other. Slightly smaller, Prairie also wore the same black jumpsuit and pink high heels, but dressed in a pink jacket and pair of shorts. As the commanding officer of the Guardians, she wore a large hat with a sizable emerald displayed in the front center. Also like Ciel, her headwear revealed a long, blonde ponytail and bangs.

"Are you ready?" Ciel asked. In response, Prairie shook her head before saying, "It doesn't matter, I have to be. They're all counting on me." Ciel observed the serious look on Prairie's face and sighed inwardly. She figured it couldn't have been all that long ago when Prairie was still a small girl named Alouette that couldn't make a decision on her own to save her life. Now she'd managed to make it to the top of a military organization and was preparing to lead a final charge against their reploid enemies. She stopped, taking a moment to wonder if the situation was some sort of cruel irony to her sister, but decided against bringing it up. Instead, she decided to bring up a different subject.

"So, have you kissed him yet?"

It took Prairie a few moments to respond, mainly because questions of personal life were hardly a topic to bring up right before a battle that could alter history. "Wh-what?!" Prairie stammered a tinge of red appearing on her face. "That ace you seem to spend a lot of time with. What's his name? Gihren?" The smaller girl forced down her blush as she responded, "His name is Giro, and not that it's your business or anything…but yes." The older girl forced down a giggle as she said, "You know...you haven't let me meet him yet…" "Yes, well…" Prairie started before the klaxons blared. _"Thank goodness,"_ she thought as the operator reported, "Ma'am, several cruisers are heading on an intercept course! They're Repliforce! I count sixteen…eighteen…twenty-two cruisers! We'll be in their firing range in 180 seconds!"

Prairie cursed under her breath before mumbling, "Repliforce, a maverick by any other name…" She ignored a quick glance from Ciel as she sat down in her command chair and said, "Comm., connect me to the fleet." "Aye Ma'am," was the reply before a dull tone filled all ships. "This is Prairie, prepare for battle stations. I want all forward cannons ready for a simultaneous barrage within the next ninety seconds. All squadrons, be geared up for attack within 120 seconds. Remember, this is only the beginning. Prairie out!"

As she stayed silent for a moment, she felt Ciel place a confident hand on her shoulder and she took in a deep breath as she listened to her crew.

"Tronium charge at eighty percent and rising!"

"Gravicon system activated. Gravity wall extending!"

"Gespenst squadrons on standby! Lion squadrons on standby!"

"Medical teams are standing by!"

"Fleetwide report! All ships at tronium charge 110 percent!"

Resolved, Prairie stared ahead, glaring down the large dots in the distance as they began to draw closer. She was beginning to make out their shapes; larger vessels with sleeker hulls, each predominantly red with splashes of black highlights, save for the white v-shape that overtook the bow with a large, uppercase 'R' carefully placed inside. Both girls knew that a one-on-one confrontation with a Repliforce cruiser would result in the enemy's victory, but despite its numerous gun emplacements and hefty crew complements, the Guardian vessels had one advantage: range. Now, she waited as seconds dragged on. Each moment seemed an eternity as the ship and its crew became eerily quiet. "Eighty-five seconds," Prairie muttered under her breath. "Eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-nine…" She swallowed deeply as she finally leaned forward in her chair and thrust her hand forward, exclaiming, "All ships, fire!"

The air sizzled under the tremendous power that erupted from all fifteen vessels; bright, golden streams of light pouring forth and streaking through their enemies. Charged particles met the sloped hulls of the Repliforce vessels, greeting them with searing heat that melted through countless layers of armor and caused monumental explosions that cast the fleet in the shadow of dust and debris. A second went by, then another, and more still to come before the bottom of the dust cloud opened up and three mangled wrecks careened, falling to the surface below as their engines slowly gave out, giving the impression of a sinking ship. Cheers erupted from the bridge as Prairie and Ciel joined together in a deep breath and sigh of relief, but it was short-lived as the remaining, relatively undamaged vessels soon lofted out of the cloud of dust and pulled forward.

"How," Prairie asked, "More of them should have been destroyed." Ciel thought about it for a moment until she realized, "The three that we destroyed must have intercepted the blasts. They sacrificed themselves for the rest of the fleet." Prairie nodded before saying, "Alright, there's no other choice, begin the assault."

--

Several decks below the _Advent_ was the main hangar, complete with staff and pilots alike. Its gunmetal walls were relatively clean, as clean as could be with dozens of mechanics and engineers rushing to each box-like station and back to the walls and numerous equipment tables and once more back to the stations. As there wasn't enough time or resources to outfit every soldier with a Live Metal as the Hunters would, the Guardians had opted for reliable powered armors: the aging Gespenst and the newer Lion.

The Gespenst was a bulky armor, predominantly blue, with a pair of odd, long antennae and wide, flared shoulders. The thin pair of wings on its back were not capable of flight; rather, they help with stability. Its back housed most of its built-in weaponry, both the pods containing its split missiles and its slash ripper are contained there, but its greatest built-in weapon came from the three plasma stakes built onto its left wrist, its jet magnum. In addition, it could be armed with many different conventional devices such as machineguns and bazookas. Unfortunately for the machine, it was beginning to show its age as its performance had begun to drop and the armor was slowly being phased out by the Lion.

Built to resemble a jet fighter and remarked as a bit uncomfortable by some pilots, the cheaper, easier to produce Lion has begun to replace the Gespenst. It's sleek, slim design barely had any armor, but its speed and maneuverability substituted this. Not as heavily armed as the Gespenst, the Lion had to make do with its left arm-mounted rail gun and its right arm-mounted missile launcher. In an emergency, it could make do with the vulcan cannons in its chest, but the usefulness of the weapon was questionable. In addition, it lacked actual hands and could not use any weapon that could not fit into the manipulator device stored on its right arm. Despite its setbacks, it had one thing over the Gespenst, it sported a miniaturized version of the device that assisted airships in flight, the Tesla drive, and thus, it could fly.

"Pick up the pace!" A tall man shouted. His long, blonde hair nearly fell to his ankles, instead meeting his dusty, gray cargo pants. He brushed his bangs out of his blue eyes and readjusted his glasses as he sighed. Tugging on his red vest, he regretted wearing his white undershirt as it had quickly become ruined with all the dirt and grease about. "I said move it!"

Under his orders, technicians quickly scurried to their box stations and helped soldiers into their armors. It was easy for the Gespenst troops. The back of the machine would split open, allowing a soldier to quickly enter as the back of the unit closed and the stabilizer wings and missile pods were attached. Then the machine was good to go. Unfortunately, for all the versatility the Lions had, it was a bit different, as the person had to bend themselves at the waist and attempt to lie down inside the machine. Many soldiers claimed a degree of discomfort when trying to fit inside.

"_I wish we'd waited like the Hunters had suggested," _he thought, _"but something has those Mavericks spooked. They've never left a hole in their defenses this wide before." _The blaring sirens ended his thoughts as he quickly shouted, "You all heard the alarm! Go, go, go!"

One by one, Lions and Gespenst quickly herded to the front of the bay as the wall slowly parted, revealing the open battlefield to soldiers ready to fight their way to victory. Gespenst units quickly leapt and floated down to their battlefield below, awaiting the generic Pantheon units below, not hesitating to prove their worth against the featureless machines. Lions followed behind, quickly taking to the air and engaging their airborne enemies.

"Vent! Hurry up!"

"Give me a break, will ya Aile? My Gespenst isn't at its station and I don't particularly see you suited up either!"

Fraternal twins, Vent and Aile continued to bicker back and forth as they tried to locate their Gespenst. Both 15, they had grown up as orphans until their induction into the Guardians. They both had the same green eyes and brown hair, the difference being that Vent's hair was shorter and spikier due to a lack of care and Aile's was neater, straighter, and drawn into a pony tail that draped past her shoulders. The two sported similar blue jackets and while Vent wore tan pants, Aile had tan shorts.

"What are you two doing?" the blonde man asked them. "Heh," Vent started as he rubbed the back of his head and flashed a nervous smile, "We were looking for our Gespenst, but they aren't at their stations, got any ideas, Giro?" Giro adjusted his glasses again as he said, "Look, you two are important to me, I've been looking after you for a while now and I didn't want you on this mission." "Giro…" Aile began to say before Giro raised his hand and cut her off, "Since I knew I couldn't talk you out of it, I pulled a couple strings and managed to requisition two custom Gespenst type S. There's a lot more power in these two, so try not to get hurt, okay?"

Aile nodded to Giro's statement, but Vent's eyes lit up and he quickly cheered, "Awesome," which garnered a slight smile from Giro as he led them to the armors he'd selected. Upon first sights, however, Vent frowned as he said, "They look exactly the same as our old ones." Vent was right, there was absolutely nothing different about them, save for the tips of the flared shoulders and the skirt armor were white, but Giro shook his head and said, "That's for a reason. The enemy won't see you and see a threat, they'll just see another grunt, but don't be fooled; the type S has a much greater output. You'll have to get accustomed on the fly, but I've managed to make sure some of the old weapons were still installed for your sake."

As the grateful twins began to slip into their units, the vessel shook with a terrible force before the noise of explosions pelted their ears. Soon, Commander Prairie's voice came over the comm., shouting, "We have enemies attempting to board the vessel! Prepare for close quarters combat!"

Giro sighed before saying, "Your units have Tesla drives, so you'll be able to fly, when you're deployed, head above the bow and engage the enemy. Keep them off the _Advent_, no matter what." The twins nodded as they exited the hangar, into the battlefield.

A quick jump and a thought allowed their Tesla drives to activate, putting them in the air and allowing them to scope the battle and absorb the ensuing chaotic show the air around them displayed. "Unreal," Aile mumbled to herself as Lion squadrons dove into aerial dances with the birdlike 'Raptor' mavericks. The tall machines were of a different stock than the grounded Pantheons and Wildcats. Their thin frames allowed them a rather daring level of maneuverability that the Lions struggled to keep pace with. It was an unfortunate sight; Lions technically outclassed the Raptor mavericks in speed and agility, the limiting factor was the human pilot in the Lion, which ultimately hampered it.

Aile yelped, shielding her eyes as two nearby Raptors exploded, showering debris in her direction. "You gonna stare at them all day?" The question came from her brother, and though annoyed, she shook her head and quickly followed the boy to the top of the deck and stood in awe of the sheer magnitude of the battle. Gigantic cruisers, defying gravity with their flight clashing as their smaller fighters fought amongst themselves. Two bright beams of light came from an enemy vessel, aimed at the bow of the vessel, but were quickly absorbed by the dark splash of black that was the _Advent's _gravity wall.

"Hey, Aile," Vent shouted as two rectangular pods broke from his back, "Pay attention, will ya?" The pods shot upwards before leveling out and breaking away, each revealing for rockets that quickly impacted three of the Raptors. "Heh," he exclaimed as he whirled around, enjoying the free movement of flight as he drew the only external weapon he'd brought with him, a small, compact machinegun that was easy to heft in the Gespenst. He let bullets fly as he pelted enemies too close to the ship, keeping foes from accessing the vulnerable crew.

For her own efforts, Aile relied on closer combat, striking nearby enemies with her treasured M13 shotgun, a weapon that served her purposes well; putting sizable holes in those too close. She nimbly dodged to the side as one of her winged enemies came close and attempted to rend through her armor with its claws. Missing its mark, the maverick quickly chose to instead head for an access port to the vessel.

"Damn it," Aile muttered as the Raptor raised its right fist forward and let rapid fire bullets impact the pink vessel's hull, punching a hole through. "No you don't," the girl declared before shouting, "Slash ripper, go!" Concentrated, the pods near her waist broke away and extended blades, flying to the enemy she'd let get away and quickly connected, slashing through.

Confident in her success, Aile whirled around to greet the new Raptor that approached while her mind was elsewhere, quickly swooping for the kill. Luckily for her, the maverick was also too occupied to notice incoming danger in the form of her brother, the stakes on his left arm pulsing with energy as he slammed them into the unfortunate bird, a hot-blooded yell of, "Jet Magnum!" and three discharges of energy was followed by Vent violently tearing the stakes free as the machine exploded. "Watch what you're doing," he joked, "I can't keep saving you like this."

Aile sighed, eyeing her brother with discontent before hearing the deafening boom of a sinking Maverick cruiser. "I think we're actually winning," the girl said. "Well of course, we're the good guys," Vent stated in return. Their elation quickly ended when two figures appeared from streams of light.

"Feh," the first one spat in a harsh voice, "I guess the Doctor's device works." "Yes, this trans-server is most intriguing," the gentler second one replied. As the light died down, Vent and Aile could make the two out. The first had a dark look about him, as if the Grim Reaper had been contained in a machine. His dark, gangly build centered on his black and purple colors and sharp features. Each finger ended in a sharpened claw, forming the hand that gripped his glowing beam scythe. A crazed look was fixed to his face and the image was only made more haunting by his silver hair that draped over his shoulders and stretched to the floor. He wore a conical hat, bearing a skull with flaming eyes that had a glare which seemed to weaken the two humans. The other was of female build, a blue tint to her armor with splashes of white, an aura of sorrow seemed about her. Swirls of energy pranced about her lithe frame, sparking every time they connected. Pigtails shot from her head to her feet that waved in the wind and sparkled in the light of day. A staff adorned with precious gems rested behind her, floating as if it had a mind of its own.

Noting the light that heralded their arrival, several Lions quickly turned to greet them. "Hey, Pandora. Maggots." "Indeed, Prometheus." The Lions quickly let loose missiles from the fixed launchers on their right arms, sending hellfire and destruction to the enemy. Pandora said nothing as she raised her arms and her staff obeyed, flying in front of her and spinning, creating a shield to intercept the weapons, blocking every attack. "Fools," Prometheus scoffed, "Find solace in death." Bringing his scythe forward, he slashed through the air, creating a ripple that quickly burst forth and met the Lions in pursuit. For the first few moments, nothing, but as he smirked, each Lion exploded.

"That…that was twelve Lions," Vent stuttered. "No way," Aile followed, "They didn't stand a chance." "Hmm?" Pandora uttered. "Oh," Prometheus said, "Looks like we missed some insects. Shall we, Pandora?" The female Maverick nodded before adding, "I'll take that one," pointing to Aile. "Then you're all mine," Prometheus announced to Vent as he pointed his scythe at the boy. "Prepare to die!" Prometheus shouted as he dashed for the unprepared Vent, frozen like a deer in headlights. _"I can't move," _Vent thought, _"Not with those creepy eyes staring at me…"_

Vent braced himself for an impact that never came, rather, quick shots intercepted both Pandora's and Prometheus's paths. "Who dares?" exclaimed Prometheus before a hail of bullets rained down on him. Darting back and forth and barely in the human eye, a new figure appeared. With a frame designed like a more humanoid Lion with large struts on his shoulders, the Guarlion armor that Giro chose as his personal weapon of choice served him well. Far more expensive, the Guarlion was much faster than the Lion and sported an external 'Burst Railgun' which generated more power than the one built into the Lion. Despite general improvements in weapons, armor, and speed, its true claim to fame was the struts on its shoulders. As Giro deployed these forward, they split open, "Break field, on," he said as energy streamed out of the struts. Accelerating as the energy formed into a barrier, he quickly rammed Pandora with the Guarlion's sonic breaker attack, letting her fall behind him.

"You scum!" Prometheus shouted as his scythe cut slightly into Giro's Guarlion, bringing him to the hard deck of the _Advent _as he tried to gain his footing. "I'll destroy you all!" Prometheus swiped, his scythe whistling through the air as Giro spun away from the blow, noting the searing heat of the blade that barely missed his neck. "That's right, insect," Prometheus hissed, "Stumble about like a frightened animal," his scythe now being swung with greater fervor as the wild look in his eyes became accented by the ghastly glow of his weapon, he shouted, "Let me savor this!"

As Prometheus held Giro at back, both Vent and Aile found themselves pinned down by the quiet Pandora. The two humans raced to close the distance between them and their silent antagonist, whose staff continued to release tremendous bolts of energy that began to tear holes in the Advent. "I'm gonna get in close," Vent shouted to his sister. His boosters lit up as he charged forward with the request of, "Cover me!"

Aile nodded before firing her remaining missile pods and opening the panels on the chest-plate, letting the missiles do the job of suppression as tremendous energy filled the space in her armor. With a shout of "Blaster beam!" the energy broke free and struck Pandora, who chose to roll as she took the damage and eased her way out of it, but the time this took enabled Vent to get in close; plasma buckler charged, he shouted, "_JEEEET…MAGNUUMMM!_" and slammed his left fist into Pandora's side, unloading stored energy into his opponent.

Pandora staggered a bit before collapsing, a sight Prometheus caught out of the corner of his eye while grappling with Giro. Quickly knocking the human away, Prometheus rushed to his fallen comrade and sneered at his enemies. "I don't believe this," he snarled as he surveyed his surroundings. "How can I be losing to such inferior creatures? That's it! I've had it!" As if a surge of energy had overtaken him, he rushed Giro with raging fury, wielding his scythe with blinding speed. He slashed again and again, countless times blurring together as he slowly let loose a roar of satisfaction with each successive strike doing more damage than the last.

Both Vent and Aile leapt at him, forcing him back, but they too soon suffered his ferocity as both quickly felt the bite of his scythe. "That's better, much better!" the crazed reploid shouted as he slammed the hilt of his weapon against Vent's face. He denied Aile the chance of counterattack with a swift reversal of her jet magnum, a result that left her left arm without function. He laughed, derisive and maniacal, as he stood over the humans and told them, "I'm going to send you all to hell a piece at a time."

Quick streams of energy collided with the manic machine, who quickly uttered, "Who dares?" Only a hail of missiles from multiple angles answered his question, striking with precision before more bursts of energy struck him. "Where are you!?" Prometheus demanded. As the confusion soon grew in the humans as well, a single being appeared. Predominantly black with splashes of gold serving in places of ornament, the figure was tall and almost monstrous in build. A sort of golden crown rested on its head that sported twin spikes with a single jutting middle spike in the opposite direction. Its wing binders and shoulder armor helped to impose its size and threatening nature. From its curved, golden feet to its eerie green eyes, its mysterious form was nothing anyone present had seen before. As the figure raised its weapon, a rifle with bayonet attached to a segmented wheel, it spoke, "Maverick, do you think you can keep up?"

With that phrase, the figure seemed to fragment, briefly becoming a living mosaic before it vanished and quickly reappeared elsewhere, changing direction and angle with fantastic ability. Each time it performed this, its wing binders popped up and released rockets that quickly targeted Prometheus, the reploid unable to dodge an assault from all sides. Finally, the new warrior appeared beside the confused humans and looked down at them before turning his attention back to Prometheus. The wheel at the end of his rifle whirred to life as the figure flung it forward and dove it into his enemy, who barely managed to deflect the weapon and once more demanded, "Who the hell are you!?"

Stopping for but a brief moment, the figure merely replied, "Calico."

As Prometheus began to falter against Calico's assault, he received a single transmission that stated, _"Prepare for reinforcements. W-01 will arrive shortly!" _Before Prometheus could inquire further, a burst of trans-server light delivered a new warrior to the battle. "They sent _him?!_" A bewildered Prometheus exclaimed as the intense light died down.

Smooth and streamlined, the new figure had a red and white color scheme. A golden V-shape shone brightly on his forehead and swept back, keeping his long, blonde mane out of his face. His back held two fin-like protrusions lined with miniature thrusters, and aside from the green saber in his hand, he sported no visible weaponry. He made not a word or gesture; he simply rushed into Calico with blinding speed, nimbly avoiding the weapons Calico had easily used to defeat Prometheus and let a flurry of slashes fly, tearing into armor.

Undaunted, Calico resumed his strategy of fading in and out, letting rockets fly from different angles and saturated the area with munitions, but a peculiar thing happened that the hardy fighter had not anticipated; his new opponent vanished. There was no warning, no flash of light or noise; he simply wasn't there by the time a weapon should have made contact with him.

"What's happened to this battle," Vent wondered aloud as Calico defended from an assault from both this newcomer and Prometheus. "Where'd all these extra people come from?" Aile shook her head as she replied, "I don't have a clue, but the red one is insane, I can't believe it's outclassing everything we fought. It's unreal. I've never seen anything like it." Giro sighed before saying, "I have, but only once, a long time ago." As he watched the fight continue to unfold, he only whispered, "Vanishing…trooper…"

--

Inside the _Advent_, the bridge crew held on for dear life as explosions rocked the ship back and forth. "Status report!" Prairie shouted.

"Repair crews are reporting heavy damage to engines two, three, and five!" a soldier shouted.

"Weapon output has dropped to sixty-two percent!"

"Gravity Wall is losing power!"

"Maintenance crews are slowing down! Too many soldiers are coming back for repairs and resupply!"

"_Zenith _and _Justice _have broken through the defensive line and are attacking the enemy rear!"

"_Sabre_ has been shot down; there are no reports of survivors!"

Prairie mulled the situation over. On the one hand, the situation was far from perfect. Any strategy the fleet had to begin with had quickly fallen apart and casualties were beginning to rack up. On the other hand, enemy casualties were quite high as well. With enough force, there was a chance they could break the enemy line and destroy the scattered forces.

"Prairie," Ciel said, "We both know that this isn't their entire army. It may be wise to call a retreat." "I can't," Prairie replied as she shook her head, "If we back down now, it'll be a disaster. We'll get picked off as we run away and when word of it makes it to others, it'll destroy any morale or hopes other humans might have. We push forward, no matter the cost."

As she made up her mind, the ship began to shudder and shake. A groaning noise was heard as the walls began to twist and tear against their own support and the effect caused rampant disarray with the systems of the vessel as consoles exploded and fires erupted from a colossal force.

"_This is –ro, Rep—t, Thi--Giro, Come in!" _Prairie waved to her communications officer to boost the signal. _"New enemy is modeled after Huckebein, enemy possesses Black Hole Cannon! Requesting permission to use Omega!"_

"Giro, this is Prairie, permission granted. Use of the Live Metal is approved."

Ciel quickly turned to Prairie and exclaimed, "What Live Metal? You couldn't have brought it!" Prairie stoically replied, "We push forward, no matter the cost." "You know what it'll do! It'll eat away at the user's life force and turn him into a walking weapon that can't even distinguish friend from foe!" Ciel countered, "How could you condemn someone to that!?" In her same stoicism, Prairie replied, "Giro and I know the risks. We'll face the burden of those consequences on our own. Hate me or hate the decision, but this is our gamble for victory." Surprised, Ciel exclaimed, "You planned this from the start, didn't you?" Silence. "Answer me, Alouette!" "I don't have to answer to you, Ciel. You should know that about me by now."

Ciel found herself unable to stare at the girl any longer and calmly said, "I thought I knew a lot about you." Under her breath, she added, "I thought you were better than this."

--

The upper deck of the _Advent _had become a wreck. As Vent and Aile stood together with Calico, they surveyed the damage one blast from their new enemy caused. Panels had been ripped out by the sheer force of the blast and part of the tower housing the bridge section was no longer present in any sense of the word.

Calmly, the figure straightened himself as he gauged his enemies. Upon counting his third enemy, he began to wonder where the fourth had gone to. Giro had far removed himself from the others, standing solemnly without movement. A brief moment passed before he uttered the phrase, "Emergency eject." In response to the order, the Guarlion armor broke apart in almost violent fashion, even grazing his face as it practically shattered, but it did not matter to him, not anymore. "Vent, Aile, take care of each other." These last words were too soft to make it to the ears of the teenagers. "What is he doing," Aile wondered as Giro raised his arm to the sky, producing a beige box wrapped in chains with a pair of red eyes.

An eerie pulse generated from the Live Metal that began to intensify as Giro shouted, "Limiter release! Chain program, unlocked! Operation Omega approved! Code: Sacrifice." The pulse grew into a field of light that took colossal form, enveloping the Live Metal and forming thick chains that shot forth and covered Giro. As the beast of light gained fiery eyes, it reached forward, clasping its hand around the chained man. Slowly, it drew Giro into its core and became whole. The monstrous creature stood an intimidating nine feet tall as it flexed its vigorous musculature. Dominated by thick limbs and a beige color from its heavily armored gauntlets down to the trailing coattails that ran from jacket, it let out a bellowing roar that shook the foundations of the ship that supported its incredible girth. As it straightened its body, it gnashed its head from side-to-side as its eyes cast an eerie glow.

"G-Giro?" Aile quietly called out. Worriedly, she outstretched her hand and took a step forward to her companion. Seeing her movements, what was once Giro quickly opened its palm in her direction and let a wave of destructive energy erupt from its hand. The force of the blast ate away at the hull and narrowly missed the girl. "Giro! What the hell are you doing?!" Vent snapped. In a silent, unsettling fashion, Giro merely raised his hand at Vent, letting another wave of energy lash out towards Vent. This time, the attack had a more fatal intent and required Vent to dodge.

The behemoth raised its arm at Vent a second time, ready to strike. As energy charged in its hand, Prometheus took the chance to attack. "I have you now, _filth!_" He shouted as he swung his scythe at the lumbering belligerent. With speed that almost gained a reaction from W-01, Giro's fist quickly grasped the Maverick, and with an emotionless display, loosed the charged energy. The energy washed over Prometheus and sent him hurtling away to plummet onto the unforgiving ground. One opponent down, he turned to his nearest target, the unconscious frame of Pandora.

As he reached for her, W-01 shoved his saber deep into his back, eliciting a howl of pain. As W-01 ripped free, he raised his saber at the monster that dispatched his ally in a single blow. As silent as his enemy, he charged.

As two mighty foes exchanged blows, a shaken Aile stood frozen in place. "He...he almost..." With a fervent shake, Vent shouted, "Aile! C'mon, get a hold of yourself! I don't know what's happening right now, but acting like a sitting duck in a battlefield's going to get you killed!" "Y-yeah," she shakily replied before hearing the thunderous boom of both Giro and W-01 slamming into each other.

Rebounding from the attack, W-01 hopped forward, sidestepping around Giro's advances before forming a buster out of his left hand and shoving it into Giro's face. He only spoke the words, "Black Hole Cannon," his only warning before firing off a massive ball of gravity that swept Giro into the air and began to crush him down inside itself. As the small anomaly began its task, it also began to consume that around it, ripping apart at the hull of the _Advent _and threatening to pull Vent, Aile, and the observing Calico inside. Without consciousness, Pandora's body scraped along the hull before being lifted in the air by the attack. Only W-01's timely intervention saved her, grabbing her limp arm as she began to pull away and for her own sake, weighed the lesser of two evils and charged his buster with simple plasma and fired, hurtling her away.

Calico looked at the display of power. _"The inhabitants have used our gifts very well...perhaps _too _well. I'll require an adequate sample to bring back for my report. After all, I need to be as productive as my original...huh?" _A spectacular sight jarred him from his thoughts. Barely, he saw the orb of gravity twist and strain before an armored gauntlet ripped through it and began to pull. The ball of dense gravity gave way to a greater force as Giro tore himself free with a roar of defiance. "I-Impossible..." Calico stuttered.

As his massive form slammed onto the hull of the _Advent_, he drew if own sword, as large as him, pulsating with a pinkish energy that formed a cross at the tip of the blade. With a yell, he swung, the full power of the Omega Live Metal giving off a hum as his blade clashed with, and overpowered W-01's. As his enemy fell back, he dove forward, his blade overflowing with energy as he swung downward. Understanding the intent, Calico began to hover before flying off the deck completely. As the twins began to wonder what caused his sudden departure, Giro's blade sunk into the ship in its vehement desire to eradicate its foe. The tremendous power the sword commanded caused explosions to cascade through the ship. "Giro! STOP IT!" Aile shouted, "You'll destroy the whole ship!" Vent yelled, but both fell on deaf ears. As Giro brought his blade upwards, the damage was being done. Even as W-01 rolled out of the way, Giro continued to pull on his sword, carving a swath through the ship as W-01 fired another deadly burst from his Black Hole Cannon.

The tectonic force from both attacks was too much for the great ship to bear. Its hull began to screech and groan as explosions littered the vessel. "Aile," Vent shouted, "Let's get out of here!" His twin agreed and both took flight, avoiding the destruction as the _Advent _cracked and snapped in two. As both halves plummeted to the Earth below, they spotted two figures in pink falling like stones. The twins nodded and flew towards them. Aile narrowly managing to catch a battered Ciel. "No!" Vent shouted as he missed his grab at Prairie and instead, the woman impacted the ground.

The twins and their passenger landed, watching the vessel in awe as its systems died down. With no Gravity Wall, half of the ship was easily consumed by the ball of gravity before Giro wrested free of the attack as he had done before. "Omega turned that man into a monster," Ciel muttered. "How could Prairie ask that of anyone?" Her tears mixed with the dirt and blood of her face as Vent shouted, "Prairie!" He rushed to wear the woman had plummeted and stood in shock. "What...what is...I...don't..."

What he saw was not his commanding officer. What he saw was a false image. A mechanical doll with the intricacies of a human being. Prairie convulsed and sputtered, most of her skin eaten away, revealing not bone, but hardened steel and wire. "What is this...wha..." his sister was just as speechless. Ciel sighed in Aile's arms before a few coughs. Her words soft, she said, "Prairie...Alouette, is a reploid. I found her, years ago. I raised her like family..." She twisted her body and arched her neck to view the devastation of littered airships and countless soldiers on both sides lifeless over the battlefield and solemnly declared, "This is all my fault."

"Hmph," Calico proclaimed as he descended. "It's more my fault than yours. I needed to see, after all." "What are you talking about," Vent demanded as the stake on his left arm charged. "Just who are you!?" Ignoring him, Calico said, "This was very interesting data. We picked the right world after all." At first as confused as Vent and Aile, Ciel quickly proclaimed, "It's you! You sent Meteor 3! You sent EOT!" Calico smirked as he replied, "I am merely a representative. As such, I would like to personally applaud your progress. All I need now is a sample to bring back."

As if on cue, Giro landed with a deafening thud. Surveying the battlefield, he let loose another roar. "Heh, that'll do fine." With a snap of his fingers, a large, circular object appeared overhead. The object's hollow interior quickly flooded over with fluid and several newcomers sprang forth. With a design similar to what Calico wore, the six orange warriors landed behind him. Their design was much less elaborate than his, lacking in ornamental design, as well as in some weapons. They each visibly sported twin pairs of cannons on their shoulders and each carried a handheld weapon similar to Calico's, but each end held a serrated wheel.

"Golar Golems," Calico commanded as he thrust his finger at Giro, "Take him!" Springing into action, the warriors quickly surrounded Giro, each taking their wheeled weapon and thrusting a serrated wheel forward by tether. One by one, they each latched onto a limb, struggling with the behemoth as they forced it into submission. "Leave Giro alone!" Vent shouted as he charged forward with his left hand. "Heh," Calico said in return, vanishing before appearing right in Vent's face, his handheld weapon thrust forward. He ejected the wheel of his weapon, lashing into Vent repeatedly before twirling his weapon around and aiming the barrel to Vent's chest. With a shout of, "Dead end shot!" Calico fired a stream of energy into Vent that sent the boy hurtling.

"Vent, no!" Aile cried as she set Ciel aside. Before she could even stand up again, Calico's weapon was aimed at her. "Dead end shot!" A point blank blast of energy leveled her into the ground in unceremonious fashion. "Now, Golar Golems, finish this up and take it back through the crossgate! We'll bring it to the Neviim and present it to the Spirit Emperor. It will be his decision if this world is ready for harvest or destruction!" The warriors nodded and each let electricity fly through their weapons, into Giro's body. Soon, he went limp and they carried him away, through the crossgate.

As Calico floated upwards to the crossgate, he noticed W-01 staring at him. With a confident look, he declared, "Next time, next time, little robot." With that, he flew into the crossgate and it twisted and bent in on itself before vanishing.

Undaunted, W-01 stood over Prairie's damaged body and lowered his sword. Before his next move, a female voice spoke to him, _"Now, now. It wouldn't be very good if you destroyed such a close family member. Retrieve her and those humans. I want to know what just happened." _"Acknowledged," he replied.

As W-01 stood over the battlefield, not even he could notice the ghostly observer. His red cloak and hood had a gold trim and concealed all but his face. The high collar of his cloak served to hide most of his face. Only his blue bangs and a sad expression in his eyes were visible. Unseen by many for far too long, he only had four words to speak.

"This only strengthens him."

--

_Hellgate Facility-Present Day_

A massive facility, nearly as large as a city, the abnormally named Hellgate Facility was a complex devoted to advanced research in a multitude of areas and was under the direct control of Gate, one of the four Heavenly Generals. He left one of his most trusted assistants, a calculating reploid named Isoc in charge of the facility. Isoc was known for taking certain liberties with this position, often shifting supplies to his already self-sufficient facility or performing less than ethical research on humans—to a point other reploids object to—and even other reploids.

As of late, however, the mad scientist seemed intent on perfecting a device he had acquired from another promising scientist. He had described it as 'remarkable' and capable of 'limitless potential', it all depended on the materials used, the delicate intricacies of each delicate part needed to be set in impeccable order, and most importantly, the core had to have all its variables worked out to their fullest.

"_NN-_GYAH!" the figure shouted as he was harshly slammed to the ground. "You're getting slower, Kouta!" his attacker shouted as he bounded forward and twisted in midair, His left foot raised high, he swung it down with all the lethality of an axe. Barely avoiding, Kouta scrambled to his feet and retaliated with a swift fist to his attacker's abdomen, a move that sent his enemy into the wall. "I'm apparently still fast enough to hit you, Grey!"

Several feet of space between them, the seventeen year old Kouta Azuma took this moment to take in a breath. The circular room he was trapped in was but a fraction of the space awarded by the building they were in, and yet its dome-shape was still enormous. Light cast down from the ceiling created a harsh combination of glare and heat that he knew his opponent was not affected by. He arched his head to the ring of windows two levels above them and he smirked. She was probably still watching him, she always was.

As Grey began to right himself, Kouta nodded in silence. He didn't know why, but thinking about her made his muscles tense underneath his black mesh. Becoming more rigid, he felt those muscles push against the red armor plating over his arms and legs. As he took in a slow breath, his chest heaved against the heavy crimson chest plate and he felt a surge of energy as the light glinted off his golden highlights in almost heroic fashion. He shook his head blue hair breaking free from his helmet and wiped the sweat that managed to break free of the fabric that covered half his face and as he coughed a bit, he remembered that when in the armor, his mouth was covered.

"_I don't have much more left," _Kouta thought as he mulled over his options. From his outward appearance, Grey did not look like much of a threat, but Kouta had learned not to trust the happy face. Grey's mocha skin was protected by an interesting black fiber that Kouta had noted multiple times could take frightening amounts of damage. Over that was his trademark red shorts and orange vest. He wore an oversized red collar that led down to two red tubes. Below his namesake gray hair was a marker; a red triangle on his forehead. What Kouta had learned about his unassuming form was that most of these items somehow held his abilities in check.

"Come on, Kouta," Grey announced, "you can do better than this!" With that yell, he charged Kouta; fist extended, and connected fists with his opponent. They bounced off each other before whirling around with symmetrical kicks, launched towards each other's face. Shifting their weight under gravity allowed them to land a fist to each other's chest, sending them both hurtling away from each other.

"Enough of this!" Grey yelled as he flexed, bringing his arms to his side and letting energy circle his body. Bathed in the light of his own power, he slowly moved, his image appearing as a mirage as his limbs swayed back and forth. Kouta understood the steps of the move and began his own counter. Focusing his own power, his hand produced a tiny spec of light that he let fly from his hand. Quickly, Grey punched once in the air with the shout of, "_SoHaRyu!_" The might of the energy he had gathered quickly leapt forward in the shape of a limbless dragon, streaking towards its enemy with its jaws agape. In response, Kouta's spec of light quickly burst to life, forming a ring of energy as he shouted, "Fire Dragon!" As its name implied, a flaming torrent of fire sprang free from the hole and took shape, Kouta's own dragon, whose flames roared in the sky.

The two attacks collided with titanic force, pushing both boys back as each struggled to keep up the ferocity of their attack. Neither gained an edge as the focus needed for their attacks began to take its toll. As Kouta felt himself losing ground, he could not have anticipated that Grey would cease his own attack, rolling to the outer edge of their display. As he dashed forward, Kouta realized he was completely vulnerable at this moment and all he could do was prepare as Grey's knee connected with his chin. The shock of the attack was not long, as Grey quickly pressed forward, driving a fist home into Kouta's chest that drove him against the wall.

As Kouta bounced against the unforgiving surface, he heard a quick, subtle, _"Kouta! Call it!"_ "Wha-" he managed to get out before Grey delivered a swift kick to Kouta's ribs. As the boy spiraled back, Grey shouted, "Time to end this!" He thrust his arm into the air, ready to call out, "A-TRA—"

"That's enough, Grey."

Choosing now to enter the training session, a limber, yet well-constructed reploid stepped forward. His dominate color was red, with white splashes. From his raptor-like three-toed feet to the segmented armor on his chest and shoulders, to the dragon-heads resting on his wrists, Magma Dragoon held an intimidating presence. A blue jewel on his reptilian head helped process multiple sources of information from the battlefield and worked in tandem with the many golden spikes shooting from his head that served a multitude of purposes from radar to communication. Adding to his menacing presence was the presence of the two massive bursts of hair flowing from the back of his head.

"Master Dragoon," Grey quickly said, bowing in reverence. "Grey, that is enough for today, be on your way." "Yes, Dragoon," Grey replied, bowing again before leaving through the door that Magma Dragoon had entered. "Kouta," Dragoon began, "You have done a great disservice to the way of Kishin Ken. The Machine God Fist was made a mockery through your performance." "Hmph," Kouta replied, "You may as well have let Grey kill me. I'm already close to it on the inside."

Dragoon's sharp eyes locked with Kouta's before the warrior said, "The attendants say you have not eaten in several days. How do you expect to go on if you cannot even maintain the sustenance your body requires?" Disillusioned, Kouta replied, "I don't want to go on. I've been stuck here for two years, forced into this stupid training regiment instead of finding my sister. How am I supposed to keep going like this?" Looking away, Dragoon replied, "A man who has given up his life so willingly outside of battle is nothing but a coward and a fool. You are the first human to ever adapt to the fighting style of Kishin Ken and not be destroyed by the art. Are you to throw that achievement away?"

"Feh," Kouta spat, "If I'm going to be stuck here the rest of my life, then I don't care what I throw away; my accomplishments, my worth, my life, it's all for nothing anyways." "Silence!" Dragoon roared, his sharp voice cutting into Kouta as the boy winced. "I told Dr. Isoc that a human boy could not become a warrior of a machine's style. Be gone with you, child. Leave my sight until you are ready to stop sniveling and push yourself forward."

With those words, Dragoon turned around and left Kouta alone in the room.

Silent for a few moments, the boy finally asked, "How long are you going to hide in the shadows?" For several more moments, nothing was heard until finally, "I, uh, are you okay?" Slowly, the lithe form of a girl appeared. Wearing the clunkier boots of the older reploid generation, the blonde-haired reploid smiled sheepishly at Kouta, ignoring the sounds of her own oversized, metallic pigtails as they swayed back and forth, occasionally clanging together. Pressing her fingers together nervously, she said, "Grey knocked you around pretty badly…"

With the noise of shattering glass, Kouta's armor broke away, releasing the teenager and exposing the loose t-shirt and sweatpants underneath. As he breathed in deeply, he forced a strained smile as he felt his neck press against the heavy collar that inhibited him. It worked in conjunction with the invention Dr. Isoc had placed inside him: an internal Live Metal. However, its purpose was control, not assistance. After a moment, he replied, "I'm fine, Pallette." She nodded as automated mechaniloids arrived. The unimaginative, bland machines were excellent for helping instill a feeling of order in the facility and they quickly performed their duty, escorting Kouta through the many identical hallways and back into his holding area.

While his captives made their best effort to ensure that the room avoided appearing like a cell or cage, for Kouta, they failed miserably. The clean room was painted a soothing blue and bathed in low light, things that were deemed necessary to create a relaxing experience, but Kouta was sick of it. The monitor in his wall allowed him the viewing pleasure of reploid entertainment and the small bookcase beside his bed held numerous text, all on things long past, but other than two extra sections, one a bathroom, the other a closet, he had nothing to do most of his time.

He sighed before calling aloud, "You can come in, Pallette." Nearly stumbling in, the girl complied, presenting a tray of a few sandwiches and soup. "I figured you'd be pretty hungry by now," She began before he held up his hand and said, "Forget it, I'm done with all of that. If they want to keep me around, they'll have to force a tube in me." "Kouta, please, don't do this to yourself!" she cried out, "Think of—" "Of who, my sister? Don't even humor me! I haven't seen her in years, and you know what? I bet I'm not going to, either!"

Speechless, Pallette stared solemnly into the ground, avoiding Kouta's eyes before saying, "I know you miss her, but withering away to nothing isn't going to help anything. I mean, if she cares even half as much for you as you do for her, then if she ever found out what you did to yourself, she'd be crushed." He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out, so she nervously continued, "She wouldn't be the only one sad either…I'd be sad too…" She quickly clasped her hands over her mouth, obviously not intending to say the last phrase out loud. She slowly set the food down and backed away.

"Pallette, wait," Kouta started, but she was already gone, the door closing behind her. "Just great," Kouta said to himself as he eyed the food. "That girl's just plain weird, even for a reploid." He let his thoughts sway back and forth in his mind before he let loose a growl of exasperation and sat down, grabbing a sandwich and hungrily ripping a chunk of it free.

--

"I had him, I had him at my feet, I completely flattened him," Grey stated triumphantly as he raised his fist to the sky in a display of victorious glee. "Yes, yes, I saw," the elderly voice of his mentor replied. "You did well Grey, but you almost lost control again. We may need to further tune your interface mechanism since you seem to have developed an interesting pair of weaknesses."

Grey forced an uneasy laugh at the older man. Hunched slightly and leaning on a cane for more aesthetic reasons than practice, the enigmatic Isoc was known for always wearing his lab coat over formal attire, no matter what his work may call for. He retained the bulky gauntlets and greaves of the older generation of reploids as he found them suited to his tastes. His long, narrow face was partly covered thanks to the metallic beard and mustache he wore. What could be clearly seen, however, were his piercing red eyes, always watching, always analyzing.

"I don't have any _weaknesses_," Grey said with disdain. "Ah, but you do, my dear boy. One, the further you are from the control mechanism, the less stable your advanced programming becomes. Two, while you are normally restrained in the vicinity of the control mechanism, prolonged aggression seems to hold a negative effect on your own interface mechanism and you begin to lose control anyways. As I said, some finer tuning could not hurt either problem."

Frustration building up in Grey helped prove the Doctor's point and he simply replied, "As you wish, Dr. Isoc." Isoc nodded, pleased at Grey's acceptance before saying, "But it is for later. For now, where has that girl gotten to?" "Which one?" a puzzled Grey asked, "Do you mean Pallette, or Layer?" "Hmph," Isoc stated, "I know where Pallette is, she does as I intended; she's keeping that boy Kouta alive long enough for my greatest project. I find Layer's location a bit more troubling. The girl was supposed to be making the correct adjustments on the Excellence Metals."

Grey shrugged. There were plenty of scientists around the complex, even in the room they were in. There was not a console in the room that did not have a technician staffing it, but Grey knew how Dr. Isoc preferred certain people on certain projects. "Doctor, why are you even messing around with Live Metals? It's not like we're weak like the humans." "Don't forget," Isoc replied, "That even you have a Live Metal, an internal one like Kouta. Used properly, they can increase anyone's power, be they human or reploid. It's one of the last great things that humanity invented that we reploids can actually benefit from. Do you remember the Omega Metal? Think of the terrifying power it held. It even sparked the interests of the Aerogaters." The Doctor paused for a bit and added, "It's a shame that had to abscond with it."

Grey nodded; he'd heard of the event, it had occurred only slightly after his own activation. The casualties inflicted were rather impressive, considering the humans and their inferior force. Then it hit him, "Doctor, Layer's probably visiting those humans again. You know how she favors one of them." Isoc chuckled as he replied, "Yes, the Guardian survivors. That would make sense."

Grey rolled his head back on his shoulders a bit before asking, "Why do you even keep them around, anyways?" "Because they're special. Barring your predecessor, W-01, they're the only ones that have had exposure to the warping energies of the Omega Metal. Seeing as how Gate would never part with his precious W-01, I settle for them. They hold unique properties that will allow them to draw on the experimental Excellence Metals. For now, they're nearly as vital to my progress as Kouta."

Long since learning to accept Isoc's machinations, Grey acquiesced. He turned his eyes to the pedestal that held the Excellence Metals. They differed from normal Live Metals in the fact that they were faceted to an armband and aside from their smooth outer surface and multiple neon slots; they were entirely unnoticeable, too unnoticeable. "Dr. Isoc," Grey called out. "Yes," the Doctor replied. "We have two Excellence Metals, I only count one."

A few moments of laxity passed before Isoc gained a grin on his face, followed by the words, "Very interesting."

--

The reploid known as Layer belonged to an interesting model line known for their extreme detail. While nearly all reploids could boast being individual, her model line was truly unique. From their dainty feet and long legs, to their strikingly seductive curves and the almost hypnotizing way their hips moved as they walked, to the size of their bust and their delicate hands, up to their flawless faces and renowned soft hair, the Artisan models were exactly that, art, walking art. Each one went on to become part of entertainment through movies, modeling, and singing. Perhaps that was why Layer decided she wanted to be a scientist.

When it came to science, it didn't matter how beautiful or adept at 'proper' mannerisms and etiquette you were; if your experiments worked, it was because of effort. She did not have to plaster a smile over her face every time someone complimented the way her purple hair moved in mirage-like fashion. She did not have to giggle every time someone told her that her lavender eyes inspired them. She did not have to dote on love when someone caught her fancy.

Unfortunately, lingering feelings of love were the source of her greatest problem.

Deep down, she knew what she was doing was wrong. She was throwing everything away, her career, her ideals, and possibly even her life, yet somehow, it was okay. The one she cared about was more important to her than her own safety. Still, she had worked hard for her lab coat, her nametag, and all the clout that went with them. As her heels clicked against the steel floor and she neared her destination, she knew she could turn back. As she typed in her identification code on the door that held the two Guardian siblings, she knew there was still time to desist.

As the door slid open and she chose to enter the darkened room, she built up her resolve and forced a pleasant smile on her face as she ignored the fact that most housing in the facility was the same, even if for prisoners. "Who's there?" a voice called out. Sitting up on her bed, ignoring her snoring brother on the other side of the room, Aile yawned, eyeing Layer before asking, "What are you doing here this late?"

Layer's smile fell. This was not the person she wanted to see. She would have much preferred Vent, now things were just awkward. "Uhm, Aile," she slowly started, trying to find the right way to word things now. Why couldn't her brother be the one awake? "I…" at a loss for words as Aile got up and walked towards her; Layer quickly thrust the Live Metal into Aile's hand and took a step back, saying, "I could only get the one."

A moment passed before Aile's eyes grew wide, "What are you doing? Do you know what will happen to you for this?" Layer shook her head as she replied, "I don't care, I've made up my mind and I want to help you both get out of here." Dumbfounded, Aile quickly said, "At least come with us." Layer shook her head as she replied, "I can't. Someone needs to make an opening for you. Just be ready." As she took a few more steps back, she said, "You'll know it when you see it."

"But," Aile started, hand outstretched, but Layer turned and hurried away. As Aile retreated to the room and slid down the wall in grief, her brother asked, "What's wrong? What was with all that commotion?" Like his sister, he too had been affected by Omega's presence. His own hair was red at the tips of all of his bangs. Aile let a moment pass before saying, "We're leaving."

--

Outside the city of research, night blanketed the sky, making what was next to occur even more noticeable. It started with a streak of light on the fringes of the facility, followed by another, and then a third. The streaks became coherent before forming a ball. In a bright flash, the light was gone, instead replaced with the smoking figure of a stranger.

"I made it," he uttered before erupting into laughter, "I MADE IT!" He quickly felt himself over, his armored hands moving over his pronounced musculature, he found himself intact. "I can't believe I made it through. However...where is everyone? They should be here. I was only a few minutes behind them."

Catching his attention were numerous spotlights, illuminating his blue and white armor. The intense lights glinted off the blades of his elbows and those jutting from his forehead, much like the V-fin of the Huckebein. Most peculiar was the extra jutting blades on his face, positioned near his mouth and giving much needed protection to his face; the blades rather resembled an oversized mustache.

"What's going on?" He asked as he shielded his eyes from the glaring lights. As he strained, he could make out the outlines of the facility's mechaniloids, each holding a rifle at his position. "I see," he said with a bit of disdain, "It didn't work the way it was intended. I got thrown in with a bunch of lifeless dolls." He felt a bit annoyed, since he already hated humanoid machines as it was. He was even more annoyed when one spoke.

"**INTRUDER, SURRENDER YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TRESPASSED INTO THE HELLGATE FACILITY AND WILL BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. ANY ATTEMPT TO RESIST WILL BE MET WITH FULL FORCE.**"

"I see," he replied, "So be it! I am Axel Almer! I WON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM A LIFELESS MACHINE! LET'S GO, SOULGAIN!"

His armor burst to light, revealing red cores on his wrists and chest that all pulsed with his energy. In response, his enemies opened fire, but for his Soulgain, the damage was unsubstantial. It could regenerate far faster than mere bullets could inflict damage. This in mind, it was easy for him to give a hot-blooded yell as he threw himself in the midst of them, his hands and feet his only weapons as he began to thrash enemy after enemy. Every kick sent his enemies flying. Every punch brought them down. To him, these weren't enemies, they were merely victims. "_Genbu Gōdan__!_" he yelled, his forearms spinning wildly as they broke free, forming a twisting vortex of wind around them as they collided into crowds of enemies and neatly returning to him.

"_Kishin Soju Geki__!_"

Axel dodged as a pair of flaming dragons streaked by him. Readying himself, Axel tensed as the golden claws of Dragoon's foot struck, lashing out with such force that even as Axel blocked the blow, he was still sent hurtling. "Intruder," Dragoon called out, "What foolishness forces you to attack this place?"

Axel straightened himself, shouting to his attacker, "I don't have to tell you my business! I'll blow through you and anyone else who gets in my way!" A vicious smile curling in his lip, Dragoon responded, "Very well! Then I, Magma Dragoon, challenge you!" Without waiting for Axel's reply, Dragoon charged, his fists burning with the desire to face a worthy opponent. Not willing to stand down, Axel screamed at the top of his lungs as his Soulgain armor overflowed with energy. He was willing to use this battle as a way to test his full abilities. He had to be ready; he knew he must be ready for the battles of the future. He knew he had to be ready for _him..._

--

_I am Warrior Roa._

_For five years I have seen this world and its progress. I find it has many steps to make if it is to survive the future. If these people are not careful, their world shall bear the same fate as my own. Already, I can see the veil of war blanketing this planet. However, I have noticed that there is something wrong with this world that not even I can understand. The lining of its dimension has become thin, reality seemingly altered. I cannot foresee the length of damage, but it could be quite extensive indeed. What this may hold in store for this world is unknown, but I know that it has many stories to tell._

_Perhaps the damage of the dimensional walls will make it easier for me to break free. Perhaps the damage of the dimensional walls will make it easier for me to contact Kouta_

_Perhaps...only time will tell._

_--_

Ending Notes: Okay, the end of a new chapter. It didn't go the way I planned, but that's probably due to the length of time between writing chapters.

I decided to add some more Megaman characters to make the story a little more relatable to people who frankly haven't heard of, nor can be concerned about Super Robot Wars. Once again, I took some disturbing liberties in this regard, since I doubt there's an easy way to bring Aile, Vent, and Grey into a storyline that takes two-hundred years before they're born.

I took the liberty of some back-story for the sake of me trying to make sense of what I'm coming up with. Stuff like that'll help _me _understand where I'm coming from. A little Aerogater foreboding was at work there and it's almost dead on for how they would conduct a scouting operation.

I'll just say for the record that I believe a lot of the newer Megaman characters have all the characterization of cardboard and I'm pretty sure I could find a successful way to make them fall in love with fire hydrants. I suppose their great flaws being the lack of games they've appeared in, but all that said, Marino and Cinnamon had more character development than a lot of newer characters _combined_. Still, I suppose that's why I pounced on adding Layer, Grey, Aile, Vent, all those characters that I can do nearly anything with and it somehow still makes sense.

Actually, in a desperate grab to produce some characterization, I essentially merged Vent and Aile with the protagonists of SRW Reversal on the GBA: Raul and Fiona Gureden. It fits real well, considering that both Vent/Aile and Raul/Fiona were essentially gender swaps and that both pairs had the ability to modify their outer appearance for different combat situations.

I brought Magma Dragoon into the fray because I personally found him awesome and Capcom probably did too since he's the only fight sans that really annoying kangaroo in X7 that actually can be done in a freakin' ride armor. I combined his general 'badassness' with that of Forka Albark and his Shura God Ialdaboath from Super Robot Wars Compact 3 and Original Generations Gaiden. I actually took the fighting style of the Shura, Kishin Ken, and adapted it for the story. Kishin Ken literally means 'Machine God Fist' and I think that suits a reploid like Magma Dragoon rather well. A few others will wind up using the style as well, notable Grey when he's in his normal form, and Kouta to some extent.

Kouta, he pretty much stole the spotlight in SRW Original Generations Gaiden. I think he actually has the same potential in this story. As for back-story, I tried about as hard as Banpresto did when they invented him. Just for the kicks, I dug up X8's Pallette and tossed her in for potential love interests. Once again, with her, I fall back on characterization of a freakin' piece of cardboard.

Now as for Axel...wow, I cannot explain that one. All I can say is that Axel is the kind of badass that most awesome heroes WISH they could be–Devil May Cry's Dante cries himself to sleep at night because he's not as awesome as Axel– I don't think I can even properly display that. The best way to explain it would probably be to advise people to either check him and Soulgain out on YouTube (You can probably do that in reference to any SRW character I use that you're curious about) and watch him insert his awesomeness into his enemies' skulls with his fist.

Just as a few FYIs and Trivia:

–The scene in the Guardian battle where Calico appeared as reinforcements was originally to be filled by Heero Yuy of Gundam Wing fame, but I decided to limit myself to using only Megaman and Banpresto original characters, so I wound up with Berkt from Another Century's Episode 3, but finally went with Calico as it ultimately made more sense.

–I opted to leave some of the attack names in their original translations as best I could because once translated into English, they make no freaking sense. Sure, Axel's _Genbu Gōdan_sounds somewhat okay as _Black Tortoise Bullet_, but when you get to things like _Shinha Gōshou Sen _and it translating into _True Supremacy Strong Wave Palm_, it just sounds awful considering you just saw him punch a man through a mountain. Consequently, if classified, Axel's Soulgain and Magma Dragoon are very much super robots and it's some kind of unspoken rule that they have to shout their attacks.

–While I intend to get back into the habit of releasing more timely chapters, I essentially have until around the end of the month to get a new chapter up, because if I miss that, I'll have my hands on SRW Z and I'll drop back into seclusion for that.

–One of the most important things about SRW is the fact that every character has a theme song to go along with their actions. I actually tend to listen to a character's theme when I'm typing about them. Since the question was asked in a review about what theme Bass would have, I've set about assigning all the Megaman characters with themes. I figured it'd be neat to share, if only for that one person out there that would play a certain tune per character. As a gag, most of the SRW characters actually call out their theme when they transform.

Bass: Theme of Forte (From Megaman 8)

Irm: Time to Come

Bullet: Vanishing Trooper (Only when piloting a Huckebein)

Excel: Platinum Lucifer/Fallen White Knight/Fallen Angel (Depends on the translation)

Prairie: The Steel Ark

Giro: Rail to the Dangerzone(While using Guarlion) Arrow of Destiny (As Omega)

Vent: Over the Time Flow

Aile: Over the World Wall

Calico: Zest Seven

W-01: Vanishing Trooper

Prometheus/Pandora: vs. Prometheus & Pandora (Megaman ZX)

Magma Dragoon: Crimson Shura God

Grey: Irregular Hunt (Megaman X Command Mission)

Kouta: Burn Now

...This list will more than likely grow...

–Like I said at the beginning, I have a request of some writers if they're willing to try some collaboration. If so, and I truly hope a few are up to it, then PM me.

Please read and review, it's been a long time since I've had my spirits raised with people taking the personal time to acknowledge me for better or for worse.


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